


Carousel

by Bubonicc



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Bonding, Caretaker AU, Centaur AU, Centaur Gabriel, Centaur Jack, Child Centaur Jesse, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Other, Separation Anxiety, Surrogate, centaur dads, child genji, child hanzo, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-02-06 03:31:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 51,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12808671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubonicc/pseuds/Bubonicc
Summary: There was a reason Jack and Gabriel had migrated to the opposite side of the mountain. It was quiet, safe, or so they thought until Gabriel finds a foal stranded in the forest.





	1. Chapter 1

The storm had come and gone as quickly as it had arrived, leaving the land around gray and eerie. A thick blanket of fog had settled over the land, making visibility more than a few feet impossible.

          Hooves soft on the damp ground, Gabriel stepped carefully over a fallen branch. Like a ghost, he moved fluidly through the heavy fog, pausing for only a moment in a clearing to look up at the still gray sky.

          The soft sounds of bushes rustling and twigs snapping caught his attention. His head quirked in the direction of the noise, but he hadn’t turned right away. Instead he stood there, listening. When another twig snapped, he turned, dark eyes scanning the forest floor until he spotted a bush in the distance rustling. It quivered and fell still after a moment, then rustled again.

          Cautiously, Gabriel stepped close, pausing a foot from the bush before leaning his upper half down and pushing the vegetation aside. He was taken aback to see a colt, legs tangled in prickers and vines. Its frantic struggles halted when Gabriel startled it. Instead, it stared up at him, eyes as round as dinner plates.

          “Ah!” It kicked its legs out, hooves flailing at Gabriel who stood himself straight up. “No!” It flailed, struggling to get to its feet only to crumble to the ground when its legs caught on the vines again. He’d thrown out his arms, catching himself in the mud.

          “Stop, you’re making it worse.” Stepping over the bush and leaning his upper half down, Gabriel gently tugged on some of the vines, uncoiling them from the colts back legs. He’d stomped a heavy hoof down when the colt kicked at him, scaring it into submission. “Hold still.” He kept pulling, careful when untangling the prickers from the colts bloodies ankles. “There.” Tossing the prickers to the side, Gabriel stepped back to give the little creature some room. “Where is your herd?” He half turned, head high as he surveyed the land, seeing no sign of anyone.

          “I-” Gabriel looked back down at the colt, watching it fold its long legs under itself. Long dirty brown curls hung over its mud caked face, its lower lip suddenly quivering. “I-” He was shivering, his little hands picking at the scuffed fur around his hooves. “I don’t know.” The little colt hiccupped, tears rolling down his cheeks as he looked up at Gabriel. “I don’t know.”

          “How long have you been separated from your herd?”  When the colt shrugged, Gabriel reached up and rubbed at his own beard. The colt couldn’t have been more than a few years old, grown enough to handle itself in some solitude, but for long periods of time without the protection of a herd, unlikely. “What’s your name?” Tail swishing behind himself, Gabriel waited, not getting an answer right away.

          “J-Jesse.” What a cute name for a deep brown little colt. Gabriel had seen his fair share of colts and foals, but it had been a while, and Jesse looked so small in comparison to his own massive body. He would likely die out here if left alone, if not from a predator getting to him, then exposure.

          “Follow me.” Turning, Gabriel began to walk back from the direction he had came from. Pausing to glance over his shoulder when he stepped back over the fallen branch, he could see the frightened little colt still lying on the ground. He could see Jesse pulling on his own little fingers, nervous. “If you want to stay out here, suit yourself.” Continuing on his way, Gabriel’s body vanished in the fog, leaving Jesse alone.

          Swallowing hard and looking all around, Jesse felt his stomach twist and turn. Clambering up on unsteady legs, he stepped forward, tripping but catching himself only to quickly trot in the direction Gabriel had gone. Picking up speed after a few seconds of not seeing Gabriel, Jesse broke into a canter. Tears stung at his eyes and he opened his mouth to yell out, cut off short when his front half ran into something hard.

          His back hooves slid out from under him, causing his backside to hit the ground. Looking up, slightly dazed, he saw Gabriel’s backside, his tail swishing lazily. Gabriel himself had half turned; arms crossed and face set as he stared at the clumsy colt.

          “This way-” Without another word, Gabriel continued walking; only glancing back behind himself when he felt something tugging at his tail.

          Jesse, who had grabbed Gabriel’s tail, held onto it to keep himself from getting separated. He didn’t look at Gabriel, instead keeping his gaze all over the unfamiliar forest.  

          They walked for what felt like an eternity, Jesse slowing down after an hour, struggling to keep up with Gabriel despite his walking pace. He lagged behind, his hand still desperately gripping Gabriel’s tail despite falling behind a few feet. His head bobbed, his eyes heavy and his hooves dragging on the damp ground, tripping himself awake after a while.

          “Almost there.” Gabriel’s voice was low, and Jesse lifted his heavy head in time to see the edge of the forest. The fog had dissipated enough to reveal a large open grassy plain. The sun had started to peek through several holes in the clouds, gasping the grassy plain in a beautiful golden color.  

          Jesse, who had stopped at the forest’s edge, gaped at the beautiful land. Only when Gabriel walked forward and tugged him with his tail, did he follow into the tall grasses.

          Walking a few yards, Jesse released Gabriel’s tail, suddenly trotting along his side. His tear stained face had dried but he still looked like a filthy mud pie.

          “Gabe?” Jesse’s hooves caught on the ground as he skidded to a stop, a centaur he hadn’t seen laying in the grasses suddenly standing up a few yards in front of them. He was massive, muscular, and a beautiful buckskin color that faded perfectly with his pale human skin tone. He had beautiful blue eyes and a lovely head of golden hair that complimented his fur.

          His eyes shifted from Gabriel then down towards the terrified little colt that was quickly backing itself behind Gabriel’s hind legs. Holding Gabriel’s tail, Jesse hid himself behind it, peeking out after a second to see Jack walk up to Gabriel.

          “When you said you were going to scavenge, I didn’t think you would come back with-”

          “Jesse.” Side stepping his back half to reveal the little colt, Gabriel yanked his tail away from his muddy face. “Found him tangled in the forest… alone.” Gabriel emphasized the last word and Jesse noted the buck skinned Centaurs expression softens. “Think the storm separated him from his herd.”

          “But the only other herd around here is-”

          “I know Jackie; it’s over the mountain, which means he’s far. I don’t doubt he’s been out there for days, maybe even a week.” The two larger centaurs suddenly turned to look at Jesse. The colt became self-conscious and backed up a few paces.

          In the open light Gabriel could see the condition Jesse had been in more clearly. He was skinny, his ribs showing suggesting he hadn’t eaten in days- or at least, hadn’t eaten well. His legs had a thick coat of mud covering them to the point his fur color couldn’t be seen and thick patches of it lined both sides of his body. It was the deep cuts from the prickers and other accidents that had caught Jack’s attention and he stepped forward.

          “Do these hurt?” Voice and face soft, he leaned down, motioning to the deep gouges along Jesse’s legs and the scraps along his arms and chest.

          Jesse, feeling scrutinized, wrapped his arms around himself and licked his dry lips nervously. Everything hurt, in all honesty. He'd walked for who knew how long and had gotten himself caught up in more things than he should have, leaving him in his current grubby state.

          There had been a long pause before Jesse swallowed anxiously and nodded at the larger centaur. Yes, it hurt, it all hurt.

          “Come, then." Giving the little creature a soft smile, Jack half-turned, motioning for the colt to follow him, "let's get to the river and clean you up." He motioned a second time but watched Jesse's eyes flick back and forth between him and Gabriel. He blinked, visibly nervous and unsure until Gabriel nudged him.

          "Go on, you're not sticking around if you're going to smell like the swamp." Nudging Jesse's backside with his knee, Gabriel gentle pushed him towards Jack.  

          "We won't be long." Jack assures the nervous little colt as they start to walk. "It's just over the hill that way."

          Only partially listening, Jesse glanced over his shoulder as they walked, watching as Gabriel had already turned away from them and seemed to be walking in the opposite direction. It was strange, but his beautiful obsidian fur seemed to dissipate along with the fog as he merged into it, vanishing completely from site.

 

* * *

 

 

It hadn't taken them more than ten minutes to walk to the river which wound itself through the open grassy plain to vanish off into the forest. It was surprisingly quiet, the water flowing peacefully over all different sized stones. From where Jesse had paused he could see dark spots idling at the rivers center, fish. They scattered when Jack's heavy hooves fell into the water, splashing their way to the center which just barely came up to his knees.

          "Come on," Jack lifted one leg, dragging his hoof across the water to coax Jesse in, "it's not cold." At least not yet, the summer sun had done an excellent job warming the mud during the day. Even know with the sun sinking past the horizon, the water remained comfortable.

          Carefully, Jesse stepped in, sinking far past his knees. Clumsily trying to get his bearings on the uneven stones at the riverbed, he managed to stand. He trudged towards Jack, his thin legs struggling against the heavy water until, finally, he was in front of Jack.

          "Feels good, doesn't it?" It did. The water flowing through his fur on its own was enough to raise goose bumps along Jesse's arms. It was warm, and the current pushing on his sore legs had felt nice. "Alright, let's get you cleaned up."

          Jesse, like any typical foal his age, hadn't been too happy when it came time to groom. He'd liked being dusty and a little gritty and would put up a fuss when shoved into any body of water. This had been the only exception. For once, he'd been relieved when Jack combed caked on mud from his fur. It had pulled and matted his fur, making movement of any kind uncomfortable. It felt good when Jack ran the side of his palm over his sore back, squeegee-ing water from his fur.

          He'd whined some, but not much when Jack asked him to lift his legs from the water, quickly scrubbing mud and dried blood from the cuts. He'd made sure to examine each cut carefully, humming in thought at each one and even thumbing some of them to make sure they were not infected. Everything had looked superficial until he had gotten to Jesse's front right left hoof.

          "Does this hurt?" Running his thumb over the cracked hoof, Jack watched Jesse's expression closely. There had been no sign of discomfort and Jesse had shrugged to confirm he couldn't feel it. "Do you know how long it's been like this?"

          "No." Feeling anxious once more, Jesse tried to tug his foot back, relieved when Jack let him have it. The worried look on his face hadn't vanished through as he watched Jesse submerge it back into the water.

          "Well," Jack sighed as he scrubbed some dirt from Jesse's cheek with his thumb, "just that hair of yours and we can head back." Pointing down to the water, Jack couldn't help the small smile at the look of dread on the colts face. He whined briefly but leaned down and dunked his dirty mop in. With Jack's help he scrubbed it out before picking his head back up and shaking it out.

          Jack had considered himself lucky the bath had gone with little fuss up until this point. Combing out Jesse's tangled locks had been challenging, expressly when he pulled away when Jack's fingers caught on a knot. He'd tut at the stomping colt, telling him the more he wiggled the longer it would take. That seemed to have settled him, for a moment at least.

          The silence that had fallen over them had tempted Jack to start asking questions, but he'd bitten his tongue the moment he saw Jesse worrying his little fingers. His eyes were staring straight ahead, locked on the forest Gabriel had pulled him from. Perhaps it would be best to let Jesse settle in before prodding him. He was tired, hurt, and no doubt scared.

          "Alright," Wringing out the last bit of Jesse's hair, Jack gently placed a hand on his shoulder, "let's get back, you must be hungry." Nudging Jesse from the river and helping him back on dry land, Jack saw his eyes light up at the prospect of food.

          "I'm... mighty hungry." The foal drawled rushing to Jack's side as the larger centaur began his walk back into the fields.

They hadn't walked for long before Jesse had started to lag behind. The sun had set, leaving nothing but a few hundred fireflies to light the way. Exhaustion had finally hit him and it had hit hard. His body sagged in on itself and he'd practically tripped over his own hooves every other step.

          His hair had dried for the most part, some of the damp curls sticking to his cheeks. His eyes which were already sunken seemed darker now, eyelids drooping as he fought to keep himself awake. If it hadn't been for Jack pausing every few paces and encouraging him to keep going, Jesse might have just collapsed where he was and passed out.

           He'd sighed in relief when Jack finally stopped by the forest's edge where trees open field. There on the edge, a large patch of tall grass had been smoothed down unnaturally. It had looked almost like some sort of nest, and when something shifted in the darkness, Jesse nearly jumped out of his skin.

          "About time." Gabriel's gritty voice came from the darkness, and just like that, he seemed to shift out of it. Whether it was his beautiful black coat and caramel skin that helped him blend into the summer night or some mystical ability, he was barely visible there.

          He was laying down, his long legs tucked neatly under his form as he laid close to the nests edge, leaving enough room for Jack and Jesse.

          Stepping into the nest and carefully laying himself down across from Gabriel. Jack matted the grass between them and smiled at Jesse.

          Looking between the two of them, Jesse hesitated a moment, but then stepped in. He knelt down, folding his own lanky legs under his body between the two of them and settled.

          "Hungry?" Gabriel asked, reaching behind his massive body and retrieving several fruits and berries. From what Jesse could see there were three peaches, blueberries, apples, and strawberries.

          "Quite a variety this time." Jack mused, picking up one of the apples and taking a bite.

          "Wasn't sure what the kid would like." Shrugging, Gabriel glanced down at Jesse, his eyebrows rising slightly when he saw Jesse's eyes light up. Mouth practically watering, the colt’s grubby hands reached out and touched the peaches fuzzy skin. He'd picked it up, holding it with two hands as he continued to marvel it before finally he took a big juicy bite.

          Eyes filling with tears, Jesse took another bite, his cheeks bulging as he chewed. Thick globby tears streamed down his face and snot from one nostril as he kept eating.

          He sniffled, not caring that he was making himself a sticky mess as he continued, Jack and Gabe watching him closely before looking at one another.

 

* * *

 

 

It hadn’t taken more than a few minutes after completely eating the three peaches for Jesse to pass out. Having tucked himself close to Gabriel, he leaned his torso against the centaur’s massive body, letting his head come to rest along the heavy arch of Gabriel’s back. At first, Gabriel had shifted slightly at the contact, but that sleepy sad face had him sighing and allowing it.

He slept with his arms tucked against his own chest, fingers spread against Gabriel’s fur, mouth slightly open as he knocked right out.

“It’s probably been days since the poor little things had a good night’s rest.” Jack’s voice was low, not wanting to wake the exhausted little creature. Instead he reached over, brushing some of Jesse’s curls from his face. He looked on longingly, running his fingers over Jesse’s chubby cheek, brushing the remnants of tears away. “It’s going to take us a while to locate his herd.”

“Jack,” Gabriel’s tail swished, his gaze not on the two of them but instead out over the field, “you know as much as I do how unlikely his herd is even still out there.”

“We can’t just… keep him, Gabe. He belongs to somebody. This is someone’s child, and they are probably worried sick.” Jack stiffened when Gabriel glanced at him from over his shoulder.

“You know as much as I do why we migrated to this side of the mountain.” It was difficult to get to, and out of reach of most humans except for the secluded village a few miles out. They had been safe here, at least so far.

“It’s better that he stays here. Plus,” Leaning close to Jack and nuzzling the side of his neck, Gabriel left a tender kiss there, “you’ve always wanted a foal.”

“Yes but, this isn’t how I wanted it to happen.” Petting Jesse’s back, Jack could only sigh. “Gabriel, if this is the reason you brought this child back-” Jack paused when Gabriel pulled away.

“Would you rather I left him to die?”

          “No, that’s not-” Shaking his head, Jack just sighed. “I’m going to hike back to the mountain. If there is no sign of the herd, then he can stay, but if they are there… and  _ someone _ is looking for him, he has to go back.” There was a drawn out silence between the two of them. “Do you understand?” Jack asked again, absently braiding Gabriel’s tail. He glanced up in time to see the beefy centaur nodding to him.

          “Jackie,” Gabriel shifted closer to him, squishing Jesse between their bodies a bit for warmth, “you know as well as I do you’re not going to like what you find on the other side.”

          “I need to know, at least for Jesse’s sake. If what you think has happened, then we will deal with it then. Just give me the few days for the trip.” He could see Gabriel rubbing at his beard, the way he always did when something worried him.

          “I should go with you.”

          “Someone has to watch Jesse, and since you’re the one who brought him here-” Smiling and flicking his tail, Jack nudge Gabriel’s shoulder. “Plus, he seems to trust you, it would be better for you to show him around and get him accustomed to the land rather than myself.” It had been true; Jesse had stuck close to Gabriel’s side the entire time despite allowing Jack to groom him earlier. He’d warmed up slightly, but even now, sleeping between them he had chosen to lean against Gabriel.

          “I’ll be quick, no more than two days. I promise.” Jack was faster than any other centaur Gabriel had ever met, what journey would take one beast to travel in a week, Jack could do in three days.

          “If you’re not back by the third night, I’m coming after you.” Leaning his upper half against Jack’s chest, Gabriel allowed his eyes to flutter closed, enjoying Jack’s soft humming.

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Please, _mi sol,_ " He should have been the one to go, "If something goes wrong-" Cut off as two hands slid across his cheeks, Gabriel looked up at Jack's face. Basked in the beautiful pink glow of dawns light, a small smile had curved its way across his lips. God, he was beautiful, those piercing blue eyes tearing through him, seeing right into him and soothing the worry knotting up his soul.

            "Nothing is going to go wrong, Gabe." Squeezing Gabriel's cheeks together, Jack pulled his mates head close and kissed the bridge of Gabriel's nose."Besides, it's going to take you half the week to get there and back." Even if Gabriel lacked Jack's natural ability for speed, Gabriel outranked Jack when it came to stealth in more ways than one. "If the path through the mountain is clear, I should be able to make it there by nightfall." The worry remained splashed across Gabriel's face, and no amount of little kisses pushed it away. It hadn't mattered how fast Jack could get there if something impeded his progress.

            Taking in a steady breath and soaking up Jack's affection, Gabriel could only slouch in place. He exhaled hard when Jack's hands slid from his cheeks, his mate's attention briefly turning towards a leather pouch he had been attempting to fasten around his waist.

            "You have your knife?" Gabriel hummed when Jack pulled it from the pouch to show him and then tucked it back in along with the left over fruits from the night before.

            "I won't need it." Still, it eased Gabriel a bit that he was taking it. It wasn't like Jack wasn't a capable fighter; in fact he was decadently strong for a Centaur who looked like a drop of sunlight. Practically spun gold, he was tall, muscular, and had reflexes faster than anybody Gabriel has ever known.

            Leaning forward and sliding his arms around Gabriel's neck, Jack hugged him close. Nuzzling his nose into the nape of his mate's neck, he took a deep breath, savoring his scent. Like wood burning off in the distance on a chilly winter day, Gabriel's scent was strangely comforting.

            In return, Gabriel coiled his arms around Jack's waist, tugging him close for a tight squeeze. He ran his hand up the small of Jack's back, between his shoulder blades, and up through his silky smooth blond locks.

            "I have a bad feeling about this, Jack." Voice low, Gabriel mindlessly itches at the top of Jack's head, playing with the thick golden chunks a bit. He pulled at the tips, eyes fluttered closed when he felt Jack's fingers rubbing at the back of his neck. He'd rubbed soothing circles into the tense muscle before sliding his fingers up through Gabriel's thick chocolate curls.

            "I know, Gabe. I know, but I promise, I'll come back." Begrudgingly, Gabriel allowed Jack to withdraw from his arms when he pulled away. "I promise." Standing and stretching his legs, Jack watched Gabriel try to stand as well, suddenly coming to a stop when a weight against his back kept him from getting up.

            Looking down and seeing Jesse still passed out against his side, Gabriel felt himself slouch a bit. If he stood, he might wake Jesse, and the runt deserved _some_ sleep after all. He'd seemed to sleep alright except for his long legs, which kicked out on occasion. Every few minutes Gabriel could see his expression change, his face scrunching up and his little fingers digging into his fur before relaxing and going back into a peaceful state of sleep. During the night he'd fussed, mumbling and kicking slightly until one hoof bumped Jack. Having woken him, Jack had leaned over, brushing some of Jesse's hair from his face and rubbing his cheek with the side of his knuckles in an attempt to sooth him. He'd heard Jack even him, briefly, but Jesse's fussing body settled once more. Jack just had that effect on people.

            Reaching up and snagging Jack's hand, Gabriel brought Jack's knuckles to his lips, kissing each one.

            "Come back to me in one piece." Pressing Jack's open palm against his cheek, Gabriel nuzzled his face into it, a small but quick smile crossing his scarred lips when Jack's thumb gently grazed under his eye.

            "Always." After all they had been through; they had always found each other. There was no point in doubting Jack now.

            Holding onto Jack's hand as long as possible and kissing every bit he could before it slipped from his grasp, Gabriel watched his mate turn towards the vast fields. Without another word, Jack began to walk, then trot, canter, and finally, he broke into a full blown gallop. Like a golden streak across the pink stained grassland, he was out of sight within a few blinks of Gabriel's eyes.

            Rubbing at his breads anxiously, Gabriel's attention was pulled away from the empty field when he felt a sharp little hoof kick his gut.

            Glancing down at Jesse, he watched the colt's tail swish back and forth. His hind legs kicked, his hoof kicking Gabriel again and making his flinch on impact. It didn't hurt, but had become slightly irritating after the fourth kick.

            Reaching down and stroking the middle fur of Jesse's back, Gabriel scratched absently. He was so soft, his baby fur still in the process of falling out. With his recent bath, his fur had fluffed outward, making him look like a puff ball.

            Continuing to rub Jesse's back until his twitching legs settled, Gabriel looked up and scanned the fields for any sign of Jack. Despite knowing Jack was long gone by now, it hadn't stopped him from looking anyway. At most he would gone for two days, maybe three if the northern herds were social, but regardless, it was too long for Gabriel.

            "Mhm-" Jesse shifted, his legs which had managed to melt out from under him suddenly getting sucked back under his body, returning him to his loaf like position against Gabriel's body.

 

* * *

 

The sound of the bugs buzzing in the tall grasses had finally managed to pull him from his slumber. Not yet having opened his eyes, he stretched his legs out, joints cracking before he relaxed back into the plush grass.

            Several spots along his body were warm, the sunlight having peeked through several holes in the trees to drizzle light over his milk chocolaty fur. It was comfortable, and he didn't want to get up but instead doze back into oblivion. Perhaps he would have too if he hadn't actually opened his eyes.

            It had been brief, a moment to rub them that was all, but in that split second the world had come into his blurry view, something was wrong.

            At first he hadn't processed that he was laying flat on his side until he sat himself up, vision still glossy from sleep. A second attempt at rubbing them had helped, but the clearer vision hadn't brought him any good news.

            Gabriel, who he had been sure he had slept against, wasn't in front of him anymore. In fact, as Jesse looked around the nest, he wasn't _anywhere_ to be seen in the wide circle.

            Standing abruptly and looking around, Jesse felt panic swell over his form when the fields around him were just as barren as the nest. He had hoped perhaps because of the tall grass around the nest it had just obscured his vision of them, but to his dismay, the fields were just as empty as the nest.

            Twisting in the nest and looking in the other direction, Jesse's front legs start to trot in place. Nervous, he turns back around, heart racing when the results are the same: empty.

            Pacing the circumference of the nest for what feels like an eternity, Jesse pushes himself out into the tall grasses. Struggling a bit with its thickness, he starts to trot, and then canter into the open plane.

            Perhaps they just wandered a bit out of his sight, right? The land had some small hills, all he had to do was stand on one and they would be right over the edge, right?

            Skidding to a stop atop of a small hill, Jesse found himself twirling in circles one again. If his stomach had been in knots already, it sure was now. The fields were empty aside from a few crows eating off in the distance.

            "Gabe!?" Trotting to one side of the hill and turning around, Jesse calls out again and again. "Jack!?" His canter evolved in moments to a panicked gallop. Racing around in wide circles, Jesse kept calling until finally a wretched squeak escaped his throat. Animalistic in every way, it echoed through the open air, startling the crows in the distance.

            He made the noise again, an instinctual cry meant for his parents or herd elders. A god awful screech meant to startle predators as a built in defense for young Centaurs, but what good would it do if nobody was around to hear it.

            Gabriel wouldn't just... leave him there, would he? Not after all that had happened the night before, what would have been the point. Then again, perhaps he had made himself a burden.

            A hard knot formed in Jesse's throat as he skidded to a stop atop another small hill, tears burning and threatening to spill from his eyes. His lower lip quivered as a soft hiccup rolled it's way up his throat, mangling the next screech he tried to let out.

            "Jesse?" Spinning in place at the sound of that familiar gritty tone, Jesse's eyes search the forest line frantically. "Jesse?" He hears his name again and despite facing the way it was coming from, Gabriel still wasn't in sight.

            It took a moment of sporadic scanning before Jesse's eyes finally locked onto movement to his left. Wafting out of the forest like some ghost and fazing into reality, Gabriel's form stood against the tree's line.

            He was looking around, confused as to why Jesse wasn't where he had left him.

            Without wasting a single moment, Jesse galloped his way down the hill. Bursting across the tall grasses and making little to no effort to buffer his impact, he threw his arms wide. Giving Gabriel no time to register the incoming colt, he took the brunt of the impact.

            Body jerking on impact, the fruits Gabriel had every so carefully stacked in his arms went flying. Raining down all over the nest and in the tall grasses, he held up his arms and looked down at the hysterical little creature.

            " _Cabrón!_ -" Gabriel lifted his arms, getting a good look at Jesse burying his face into the fur just bellow his belly. A if he had been gone for a century, Jesse refused to let Gabriel go when he took a step back. "Enough... Jesse-" Shifting slightly from hind leg to hind leg, Gabriel sags and allows it. "Alri- Jessie, _alright_." Pressing his hand against Jesse's face and forcing the colt back, Gabriel brushed himself off whipped his tail in mild annoyance. "I can't leave you alone for fifteen minutes?"

            In truth he hadn't expected Jesse to wake up until early in the afternoon. He'd looked so drained the night before it wouldn't even have surprised Gabriel if he had slept through the whole day. Regardless, he had delicately removed Jesse from his side and laid him down safely in the grass. He'd been like a rock when Gabriel set him down, undisturbed and content with his continued snooze. After standing by Jesse for a few moments to make sure he really hadn't disturbed him, Gabriel had left.

             With Jack having taken most of the food he had foraged the day before, Gabriel had figured he had a bit of time to get more before Jesse was live to the world once more. He'd picked a few more apples, berries, and this time around, small purple plums he thought himself lucky to come by.

            Laying himself down in the nest, Gabriel reached around and gathered up the scattered fruits, Jesse now sheepishly helping him and setting them in a neat pile.

            "Here, eat." Tossing a plum to Jesse as the little colt was laying himself down by Gabriel's side, Jesse barely caught it. Fumbling only a moment, he inspected it. Sniffing its smoothed skin, he cupped it in his hands, amused at the fact it wasn't as large as the previous peach he had eaten. "You're skin and bones, so eat more than one." Removing a plum from the pile, Gabriel took a large bite.

            Unaware Jesse was watching him, the colt took a bite at the same moment Gabriel had. Not caring in the slightest about the juicy mess, he kept munching, silence falling over the two as they ate. Upon grabbing a second fruit, Jesse just stares at it.

            "I... thought you left me." Voice so soft it was barely audible, Jesse keeps his eyes focused on the skin of his next plum. Absently picking at a blemish on the purple skin, he tucks his legs slightly tighter under himself. "I thought-" The knot was back in his throat and he swallowed hard. Utterly terrified of being alone once more, it had been instant relief to see Gabriel merge from the woods.

            Leaning to his right and tucking his body against Gabriel's for comfort, Jesse just shakes his head. He sniffled hard, his right hand coming up to run under his runny nose.

            Rolling his eyes, Gabriel's tail swished to the side, a few strands fluttering over Jesse's back. Unsure of what to say, he stays silent for a moment. Jack was always better at comforting others than he had ever been. Gabriel himself was just a whirlwind Jack knows how to tame with just the slightest touch and the sweetest words.

            "I thought-" Shoulders slumping, Jesse took a sad bite of his plum, "I-" Cut off when Gabriel reached down and squeezed his cheeks together with one hand, Jesse looked up at the larger Centaur.

            "Don't talk with your mouth full." Letting Jesse's cheeks go, he watched him swallow hard. "I'm not going anywhere, runt." Harshly patting the top of Jesse's head, Gabriel ruffled his long locks for good measure.

            A warmth spread through Gabriel's chest as Jesse smiled up at him. Sweet, cute, and at ease, he was adorable. An insatiable need to love and protect this scrawny little runt was suddenly top priority in Gabriel's mind. The maternal feeling had been a bit odd for him; considering it had never been as potent with any other foal he had crossed paths with until this mud pie.  

            Leaning back into his larger form, Gabriel crossed his arms and closing his eyes. Taking a moment to bask in the early summer sun, his mind continued to wander. Every few seconds he could hear Jesse much into another fruit and he grunted, pleased Jesse was doing as told and eating more.

            "Where is Jack?" Speaking with his mouth full again, Gabriel peeped an eye open at him. He wasn't looking at Gabriel, but instead had his focus out towards the fields.

            "He left to locate your herd." Both of Gabriel's eyes opened and focused on Jesse when the foal visibly stiffened. Worrying the fruit in his hands, Jesse swallows down the piece he had been chewing on hard.

            "What is it?" There was a moment's pause before Jesse cautiously turned to look up at him. His eyes darted all around Gabriel and his mouth opened as if to say something but fell closed after a moment.

            "I-" Squinting and running a hand through his own brown locks, Jesse rubs at the side of his head. A look of confusion crosses his face for only a second before he is opening his mouth again. "I don't... remember much. I don't... remember how I got into the woods I just remember... bein there." His gut rolled as he tried to recall the events. "It was somthin... somethin bad. Hot. Everythin was... hot? My herd, they were runnin and there was a lot of yellin. My Ma-" He tailed off again, his eyes absently searching the ground. "My Ma was yellin, the fire was comin but-" He squints again, memory foggy.

            Stroking his beard as he watched Jesse struggle, Gabriel hummed softly to himself and glanced over his shoulder in the direction Jack had galloped off to.

            Fires had been rare, the land not dry enough to spark a sudden forest fire but it did happen. Plus, with the passing storm who was to say lightening hadn't been the catalyst to it all. If a fire had pushed Jesse's herd far enough they could have broken off, resulting in Jesse's sudden separation from his group.

            Though Jesse's condition had suggested he was out there for days, but by now his herd should have regrouped. If so, Jack had a good chance of running into them.

            "Gabe," Gabriel pulled himself from his thoughts to look down at Jesse who had managed to move directly in front of him now, "why are you like mist sometimes?" Curious little thing, wasn't he? "How come I couldn't see nothin when you were callin me?"

            "You know all Centaurs and most creatures have some sort of special ability? Usually evolved from where they live and who they are born from." There was a small nod from Jesse. "I can merge with the shadows as I please, rendering myself camouflaged if I so choose or into a gas like form." Extending his hand, Gabriel turned his palm towards the sky. As he spoke, dark tendrils of smoke began to waft from his skin. His skin started to fade, giving him a slightly transparent look before he turned and held his arm under a spot of sunlight. Immediately the smoke wobbled and sucked itself back into his hand, solidifying him. "It however is useless in direct light."  Eyebrow quirking at Jesse's expression, Gabriel was surprised his eyes were not forming into starts right then and there.

            "What," Scooting even closer to Gabriel, Jesse grabbed his dark hand to inspect it, "what can I do? What can I do!?" His short tail flailed in delight behind him.

            Chuckling lowly and standing up, Gabriel patted Jesse's head one more time.

            "In a few years time you will figure it out." If Jesse was lucky he would figure it out within a year, maybe two. "You're still growing." Turning in the nest and stepping out of its protective circumference, Gabriel starts to walk down a small decline.

            Scrambling to his feet and prancing through the tall grass to catch up to Gabriel's side, Jesse trots along his side to keep pace.

            "What are we doin now?"

            "Jack won't return for at least two days, maybe more, so he insisted in the time that he was away to show you around. If you're going to be staying here for the time being you should know your way around." More so in case Gabriel decided to vanish for a little while he can trust Jesse not to panic when he is gone. "I'm going to show you the places that are safe for you to roam." Gesturing with his chin at the vast field they are roaming in, Gabriel continues, "This open area is safe though I would suggest not wandering _too_ far from the nest. **Do not** ," Gabriel's voice is heavy, "go into the forest, at any time, _even_ if you hear me calling you into it. I will come out to get you if I need to. Do you understand me?" Half turning his torso to look down at Jesse, he was pleased with his frantic nodding. "Good. The trees provide us with protective cover over the night, but it's more or less safe on the outskirts. Sirens live in several of the ponds in the forest. They're cunning and devious. If you get to close to the water they will pull you down and drown you." As he walked he could feel Jesse bump against the side of his body, instinct telling him to stay close to Gabriel. "The river is the best place for a drink."

            Glancing down over his shoulder again, Gabriel frowns when he sees Jesse pulling nervously on his own fingers.

            "What do... what do they look like?"

            Like ourselves, their upper body mimics that of a human, but gills can be found ribbed across their necks and chest. Below the water level, they are snake-like, long enough to squeeze the life from you if you are foolish enough to get close. Have you seen one before?"  Squinting at the colt as he swallows nervously, Gabriel isn't sure he believes Jesse when he answers.

            "N-no-" Silence followed for a good mile before Gabriel paused atop a hill. It had been slightly familiar when Jesse reached the top, the river Jack had taken him to the day before was in view. It had looked lightly different than before and it had taken Jesse a second to realize Gabriel had taken him to a different spot along the bank. They had been closer to where the river vanished into the forest and flowed into a distant villa, just barely visible from where they were.

            "What's that?" Pointing with a grubby finger, Jesse slides down the hill a bit.

            "It's where a few humans live." Whipping his tail to one side, Gabriel moved down the hill and towards the river' edge. "You're to stay away from them as well. This side of the river belongs to us, that side," Gabriel pointed across the river, "if the humans. They mind their business, we mind ours. Keep away from them."

            "Why?" Following Gabriel down to a rockier area of the river, Jesse watched the villa from afar. A few dark specks could be seen in one part of the field, tending to whatever it was on the ground that was interesting them. Unaware to Jesse and Gabriel walking along the river, they just kept working.

            "Humans are _selfish_ and _cruel_. All they do is _take_ and destroy out of greed."

            "I've never met a human before." He'd paused to gawk a little longer at the creatures across the land, Gabriel continuing to walk away from him.

            "You'll keep it that way." Stopping by the river's edge and crossing his arms, Gabriel's own gaze wanders to the villa. "The river is shared, but if there are humans near it, move to a different spot."

            "So I can play in it?" As if confused by the question, Gabriel half turns, looking at the water and then up at Jesse. "I suppose so-" Before he could finish, Jesse had reared and flung himself into the water. "Jesse!" Backing up and shielding himself from the splash, Gabriel stomped his front off on the ground. "Jesse-!"

            Prancing through the water and twisting his body, Jesse squealed. He bucked and kicked his legs out, hooves unsteady on the uneven rocks below the surface and often he sank up to his flesh covered waist. He sprung back up, giggling like mad as his flailed his front legs out, splashing more and more water up out of the river. The walk in the beating sun had him panting, and the dip in the cool river was exactly what he needed.

            "Enou- Jess- Jesse! Sto-" The colt spun in the water, his hair and fur drenched now as Gabriel suddenly advanced his front half into the water. Lifting one powerful leg and bringing his hoof down, he splashed Jesse back.

            "Haha!" Squealing and retreating to the middle of the river, Jesse kicked his back legs out playfully at Gabriel. In retaliation he spun, his hands fanning the water at Gabriel who cursed and splashed back with both front legs.

            Wave after wave enveloped Jesse and he reared, hooves loosing traction on the rocks below. Slipping and falling backwards into the water, he surfaced but a moment later, drenched to the bone but giggling up a storm as he pulled his clinging wet hair from his face.

            Rubbing the water from his eyes and wading in circles around Gabriel, a smile ten times larger than Gabriel had ever seen smeared on his face. It was utterly impossible to stay mad at this runt, he was just too precious.

            "Come on," Splashing Jesse once more for good measure, Gabriel pulled himself from the river and shook himself out, "It's time to catch lunch."

            " _Catch?_ " Struggling to get back onto the river bank, Jesse felt Gabriel slide his hands under his armpits and tug him up. Shaking himself out and fluffing up, he gave Gabriel a confused look.

            "I'm going to teach you how to fish." Gesturing for his soggy colt to follow him, Gabriel walked a good few feet more down the river before a large rock seemed to draw his attention. Kneeling down by it and shuffling though the dirt a bit, he stood back up with two objects looking like sticks. Only when he drew near to Jesse did he see the string and hook attached to each cruelly made fishing pole. "Here-" Handing Jesse one of the sticks, Gabriel then holds up a wiggling worm in front of his face. "Watch closely, I won't be repeating myself." Walking once more to the river's edge and lying himself down an inch from the water; Gabriel works the worm into the hook.

            Lying himself down next to Gabriel and watching like a hawk, Jesse watches Gabriel toss the line into the water and dig the end of the stick into the dirt to keep it propped up.

            "If you're patient, the fish will come. You'll want to find something the fish will like, something that will draw them to your hook. Once they bite, you pull them in. Bugs are best; you can find them under the rocks around the river." Pointing two some rocks in front of Jesse, the colt takes the hint and flips them over. Snagging one worm attempting to get away, he puts it on his own hook like Gabriel had showed him. Tossing it into the water and sticking his stick into the ground, he sat and waited.

            It only took ten minutes of watching the line bob in the water before Jesse patted a small hand on Gabriel's shoulder.

            "How long till they come a'bitin?"

            "We'll be lucky any show up with all of the splashing you did." He didn't have to look to know Jesse's cheeks flared red. "Be patient." That had been easier said than done.

            Five minutes turn into ten, and then minutes turn into twenty, and then a half an hour turns into an hour with no bites whatsoever.

            Having grown bored once more ten minutes into waiting, Jesse had rolled onto his side. He'd spread his limbs in the soft grasses, soaking up the sun and trying to not doze off after the hour mark had passed. He'd whine from time to time, stretching his legs to poke his hooves into Gabriel's belly. It had only gotten him a swat from Gabriel's tail.

            On the verge of dozing off, a miracle happens. Jesse's line twitches.

            Eyes having been half lidded snapped open, and Jesse sat himself up. He'd reached for his line but Gabriel's hand stopped him.

            "Wait-" Voice calm, Gabriel gestured with his chin to the bobbing line, "It hasn't bitten yet."

            Biting his lip in anticipation, Jesse watched the line, fingers at the read. The moment the line jerked hard, Gabriel lifted his hand.

            "Now!"

            Snagging the stick and yanking on it with all of his strength, the fish flew from the water and up over Jesse's head. He reared, screaming in delight at his catch as it wiggled frantically on the end of his line.

            "I got em! I got em! Look! I got em!" Dancing on all four hooves, Jesse plopped himself to the ground, unhooking his prize.

            "Careful now they're-" As Gabriel leaned in to help Jesse, the fish slipped from the child's grasp like a bar of soap. Launching a good foot in the air, Jesse made a frantic grab for it. Hands flailing, he missed it in the air and panicked as it hit the grass and flopped about.

            Making a made grab for it, Jesse make up empty handed each time, the fishes flailing too random for him to get a good lock on it.

            "Hold still!" Snagging it, it once again slipped from his grasp and plopped comically back into the river. And just like that it was gone.

            Leaning over the water, mouth gaping, Jesse just started at the rippling surface. Complete shock painted his face and only when he heard Gabriel howling did he look up.

            "It's not funny! G-Gimme another worm!" Springing up onto his four legs and stomping all of his hooves into the grass, Jesse frantically got back down to the ground. Flipping rock after rock for more worms, he kept screeching at Gabriel to quit squawking at him.

 

* * *

 

He munched down hard against the fish's crispy skin, his face housing nothing but bitterness as he had to stare at Gabriel's smug grin from across the fire. He was holding a stick with two fish speared on it, rotating it every few seconds over the small fire he had made.

            "You'll have better luck next time." Chuckling when Jesse whipped his little tail back and forth in silent annoyance, he munched hard on his own fish again. Munching down to the bone and picking what little meat was left on it, he tossed the bones to the side and sat quietly, face scrunched in anger.

            Pulling the stick away from the fire and blowing on the smoking fish, Gabriel waits a moment for them to cool before pulling one off and handing it to Jesse.

            Snatching the unfortunate fish from the larger beast's hand, Jesse got right to work pulling it apart.

           

* * *

 

He'd walked cautiously over one smoldering log after the next, his hooves burning below him regardless. The damage had been miles deep, the smoke thick and difficult to navigate through. Despite it having been well into the night, the forest was glowing a vibrant yellow and orange.

            Stepping right up to the forests edge but not quite leaving it, Jack blinked his burning eyes. He was covered in ash, legs now a decent shade of black from walking through the ash. He scanned the smoky area the best he could, looking or any signs of life of danger. Instead, all he sees is the charred remains of a valley once his home and several large lumps scattered about the ruined land.

            Heart jumping to his throat, Jack gave one good look around before stepping into the open. Making a quick line for the first lump on the ground, he cursed and looked away, wincing at the charred corpse of a centaur. Having burned to the point it was impossible to make out who it had been, he moved onto another.

            He walked from body to body, checking the lesser burnt ones before finally moving close to an area that looked like it hadn't suffered the brunt of the flames.

            Several bodies lay slumped on the ground, most barely burned and identifiable. The first one he knelt by was a massive gray male, speckled with dark gray spots and mildly burned at his hind legs.

            Running his hand over the male's side, Jack's fingers grazed over several holes in the centaur's skin.

            _Bullet holes._

The burns were superficial; the bullets had been the finisher.

            Moving to another body, Jack found more holes, and then another, and another, until finally he paused at a female. Laying close to the forests edge as if she had tried to make a break for it, she had collapsed mere feet from natural shields. Her torso was twisted, her face down in the grass, not allowing Jack to get a good look at her.

            As gently as possible, Jack rolled her over, dread coiling in his belly at her face. Her eyes were open, grayed and lifeless like her skin. A red bandana with an intricate gold design was wrapped around her neck, the edges now frayed from the fire. One of her arms had been outstretched towards the woods as if she was trying to get something even in her last moments.

            It could have been a stretch, but she was identical in color to Jesse. That lovely caramel color with faded black legs up to the knee, it was a long shot. Her features were even soft like his.  Then again what was the chance of Jack finding a body that wasn't already burned to bits?

            Removing the bandana from the woman's neck, Jack tucked it into his pouch and laid her back down, his hand sliding over her eyes to grant her what little peace he could. All he could hope for right now was Jesse being able to identify her bandana.

            Standing up from the ash, Jack swallows hard. More than anything he would have loved to call out to anybody that might still be out there, to anybody that might still be alive but whoever had done this might also still be out there too.

            There had been drag marks through the forest, signs of a struggle, panic, and in some places the nature hadn't been touched. Whatever happened was deliberate.

            Turning back towards the mountain, Jack ran.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't understand how I never ran into the issue of lack of pockets with the amount of Merformers I have written but the lack of pockets has become a problem I didnt think I would need to figure out how to solve. Id like to update this every two weeks (maybe more depends on how fast I can smooth out my own plot holes)  
> 

He’d hidden himself from the sweltering summer sun by lying close to the forest line, the shade and summer breeze keeping him cool as he dozed in and out. On occasion Jesse would trot by, throwing himself down against Gabriel’s side and talking a mile a minute about some bug he found. In truth Gabriel hadn’t really listened, only offering occasionally grunts and a whip of his tail when the colt sprawled over him.

        If Gabriel continued to ignore him Jesse would do one of two things, huff and slide back down like a little loaf to nap with Gabriel, or in this case, trot off to continue his bug search in the fields. This had often provided Gabriel with at least one more hour to nap before Jesse came back to place a bug on his back.

        It hadn’t been until midday that Gabriel had roused himself from his nap to the familiar sound of muffled hooves beating against the land. Upon sitting himself up and looking out across the sun-soaked grass, his eyes locked onto a familiar golden streak darting across the land.

        “Jack-” Heart fluttering as he watched the golden streak dissipate to reveal Jack’s beautiful golden form, Gabriel stood and broke into a smooth canter to meet Jack halfway. As he moved through the field, the delight had faded and dread quickly took its place. Jack had returned almost a day and a half early- which could only mean he brought bad news.

        Throwing his arms open and slowing his canter to a rough trot, Jack connected with his chest and all but melted into his embrace. Panting harshly into his mate’s neck, Jack slid his arms around Gabriel’s form and pulled him as close as possible. Digging his fingers into Gabriel’s muscular form, he let out a loud huff of relief.

        Nuzzling the top of Jack’s head, Gabriel hugged him back, his palms sliding across Jack sweaty back. His skin was hot to the touch and his fur matted and damp. Practically drenched from the run, it hadn’t stopped Gabriel from nuzzling the nape of his neck. He’d planted several kisses there, working his way up to kiss at Jack’s dirty cheekbone.

        “You’re filthy.” The ash had clung to Jack’s form, his normally glowing golden fur dulled now. It wasn’t the mud or the ash that had concerned Gabriel, but the moment his eyes locked onto the dried blood coating Jack’s hands and front legs, his fur stood on edge.

        “Is this yours?” He’d grabbed Jack’s wrists, turning them over to try and identify any possible wounds.

        “No, no it’s not mine.” Quick to sooth Gabriel’s worry, Jack sounded slightly out of breath. “Where is Jesse?” He’d looked past Gabriel as the centaur continued to look him over, not quite convinced he wasn’t wounded.

        “Somewhere in the field,” With both hands, Gabriel cupped Jack’s face, his thumbs wiping across his cheekbones to rid them of ash, “what about the herd? What happened, did you find anybody?” The ash was answer enough, but judging from Jack’s instant grimace, there was more.

        “They’re gone. All of them, just… gone.” Reaching up and taking Gabriel’s hands into his own, Jack gave a faint squeeze. “There was a fire.” That much Gabriel had known, at least Jesse wasn’t off about that. “But it wasn’t a _normal_ fire.” At best a fire would push herds from their territory as the land was at nature’s mercy, but this was different. “The burn was controlled, pushed in one direction to corner the herd against the mountain away from the pass. The herd members I found-” Licking his lips and shaking his head, Jack continued, “Mostly females, were wounded.”

        “How so?” He really didn’t need an answer he already knew, but Jack reaching up and touching the scars littered across his face was answer enough.

        “Two, maybe three shots from a rifle, took most of the females down. I assume most of the males had gone the same but-” Licking his lips nervously, Jack only shook his head.

        “They took them-” Gabriel’s jaw set, a growl bubbling up through his chest. “The _bastards_ took them.” Stomping one hind leg into the dirt, Gabriel huffed, rage building in the center of his chest. “Your tracks?” Panic had swelled in his chest again, knowing he should have been the one to go. Under the dark cover of the forests and fog, he wouldn’t have let any tracks _at all_ in his wraith form.

        “I covered them and took a different route though the North forest. I made sure to go through as many swamps as I could to disguise my scent too. I doubt anybody saw me, there was nobody around, whatever they had been up to I think they finished.” When it came to Jack running at full speed across the golden grasslands he was practically invisible, but in the dark smoldering forests, he was a beacon. “I don’t doubt that the passing storm slowed the fire down but it’s going to be nothing but ash in a few days.”

        “How far was the fire from the mountain pass?” The pass itself had been hidden in the dense forest, difficult to find by anybody who didn’t know what they were looking for.

        “A few miles, I doubt the poachers know it’s there. It’s too narrow for their vehicles; they’d have to travel it by foot if they were desperate enough for us.”  It had been unlikely, with no known herds on this side of the mountain to draw attention to them, they _should_ have been safe. As long as they kept the peace with the small villa nearby, there was no reason for danger. As far as anybody knew, the only thing mythical on this side of the mountain was the never ending forest which even humans avoided.

        “That doesn’t mean they won’t come.” Glancing up at the mountain, Gabriel looked back down at Jack who was now fumbling around with his leather pouch. Flipping it open and pulling the red and gold bandana out, he held it up to Gabriel.

        “This was all I could find,” Allowing Gabriel to take the bandana, Jack continued, “It was one of the females by the forest's edge. It was the only thing I could find that wasn’t already burnt to pieces. Judging from where she was, I think she was trying to get into the protection of the trees from the gunfire… but didn’t make it.”

        Rubbing the fabric between his fingers, Gabriel noted it was slightly damp. At some point Jack must have stopped to wash it, but the burned and frayed edges remained.

        “Gabe?” Startled, both Jack and Gabriel glanced upward to where the small voice had originated from.  Slowly walking over the small grassy hill, Jesse came into view. Walking cautiously, he perked up at the sight of the two larger centaurs.

        Trotting down to the two of them, Jesse paused upon seeing the bandana between Gabriel’s fingers.

        “That’s… that’s my Ma’s!” Little fists clenching in delight, Jesse reached up and pulled the fabric from Gabriel’s grasp. “You found my Ma?” Eyes bright, Jesse turned towards Jack, a large smile on his little face. “Where is she? She’s gonna be mighty mad at me for getting myself lost this long.” Side stepping to peer around the two larger Centaurs, Jesse tilted his head in confusion. There was nobody behind them, and as far as Jesse knew, there was nobody behind him.

        Glancing down at the bandana and then up at Jack’s sorrow filled face, Jesse’s smile was gone.

        “Why do you have this? Where is my Ma?” Looking back and forth between Gabriel and Jack, Jesse watched the two larger creatures look at one another. “Where’s Ma?” Voice weak, Jesse squeezed the bandana in his hands. He swallowed hard, a knot forming in his throat when Jack stepped closer to him.

        “Jesse,” Reaching out to touch the trembling colt, Jack spoke as gently as possible, “Your herd-” His hand came up short of Jesse’s shoulder, the colt having taken a step back.

        “No-” Pulling the bandana close to his chest, Jesse shook his head, “M-Ma’s… Ma’s gotta be… she can’t-” Thick globs of tears welled up under Jesse’s eyes.

        “Jesse-” Gabriel stepped forward next.

        “NO!” Rearing, Jesse screamed, bringing his front hooves down hard against the grass. “They can’t!” Tear after tear poured down Jesse’s cheeks, soaking his face in seconds. “They can’t! Not my Ma! Not-” Voice cracking and breaking off, Jesse’s face scrunched, the flood of tears raining down one after another.

        He’d backed up when Jack approached him, shaking his head frantically before finally whirling himself around and galloping back over the hill he had come from.

        “Jesse! Jesse, wait!” Giving little chase, Jack stopped at the top of the hill, watching Jesse gallop off.

        Sagging into himself slightly, Jack straightened himself out when he felt Gabriel’s fingers at the small of his back.

        “That could have been handled better.” Upset, Jack didn’t look at Gabriel as the darker centaur took his place by his side. “He’s so young-”

        “Humans don’t care.” Ignoring Jack’s loud sigh, Gabriel turned to face the mountain. No matter where they went to hide, it was bound to happen again sooner or later. Whether it was their own herd all those years ago or Jesse’s, the humans _always_ came back. “I’m going to do a sweep of the forest, make sure nobody followed.” Jack only grunted, his gaze still out towards the fields. “Jackie-”

        “Hmm?” Half turning, Jack was met with Gabriel’s nose against his cheek. Briefly they nuzzled before Jack sighed.

        “You did what you could.” They hadn’t lessened the grief on Jack’s face.

        “They’re all just lying out there, burning.”

        “It’s too dangerous to go back to bury them.” Again, that hadn’t made Jack feel any better towards his fallen kin. “Worry about the kid.” Gabriel was right. As of right now, they were all he had. “I’ll be back at dusk.” Cupping Jack’s face and kissing him roughly for good measure, Gabriel turned and was off.

 

* * *

 

By the time Jack had managed to catch up to Jesse, he had found the colt lying by the river. With his back to Jack, he hadn’t noticed the large centaur approach him.

        “Jesse-” Jack’s voice was soft as he stepped close, his eyes wandering over Jesse’s little form before spotting the crudely made fishing rod stuck in the ground before him. He didn’t look up when his name was called but instead kept his eyes locked on his bobbing fishing line.

        His eyes were puffy and red, tears still streaming down his cheeks to drip from his chin. He sniffled hard, one hand coming up to run under his snotty nose while his other kept his mother’s bandana close to his chest.

        “Jesse-” Jack says again and this time he can see Jesse’s lower lip quiver. He was quick to rub away the new flood of tears, doing his best to ignore Jack.

        Stepping close to Jesse’s side and laying himself down next to the colt so there was but an inch between them, Jack took in a steady breath.

        “I see Gabriel taught you to fish while I was away.” Silence followed, nothing but Jesse’s hiccups could be heard over the soft flow of the river’s waters. The fishing line bobs but Jesse doesn’t look at it, instead he pulls the bandana closer to the center of his chest and shakes his head.

        “My Ma,” Voice cracking, Jesse struggled to speak over his own stifled sobs, “was the strongest, most kind Ma I knew.” Face scrunching, Jesse continued, almost difficult to understand. “She was smart and played with me all the time. She would sing to me when I was scared, keep me warm, and… and-” Fresh globs of tears flooded Jesse’s face and he shook his head. “Now she’s gone. They’re all _gone_.” Chest heaving, Jesse tried to continue, “And now I’m all alone-”

        “No, Jesse, look at me-” Cooing to the upset creature, Jack reached down and cupped Jesse’s cheeks. Gently directing his face to look up at him, Jack used his thumbs to smear fresh tears away. “That’s not true.”

        “But everybody’s gone.” Hiccupping in Jack’s palms, Jesse allowed Jack’s touch. “Where do I go now?”

        Pushing a few strands of hair from Jesse’s eyes, Jack gives him a soft smile.

        “Not everybody.” Pulling Jesse close and hugging him protectively against his chest, Jack nuzzled the top of his head briefly. “Gabriel and I are here, and we’re not going to let anything happen to you.”

        “You promise?” Jesse whispered, eyes closing as he felt Jack run his hand through his thick brown locks.

        “I promise.” Slowly, Jack rocked back and forth, shushing Jesse’s soft hiccups down until his breathing had calmed. Nuzzling Jesse for a few minutes more, Jack finally released him and let him return to sitting idly by his side.

        Taking in a shaky breath and wiping his nose, Jesse let out a ragged sigh.

        “I’m not very good at it.”

        “Hmm?”

        “Fishin’-” Pulling his line back in, Jesse looked at the still wiggling worm on the line. A faint smile crossed his face when Jack chuckled.

        “Me either, I think Gabriel just has a natural talent for it.” Jesse’s smile grew wider and he tossed the line back into the water, a gentle breeze suddenly rolling up and rustling the grass around them.

        Reaching down and gently pulling the bandana from Jesse’s hand, Jack brought it up to the colt’s neck. Instantly Jesse stuck his neck out slightly, allowing Jack to tie it.

        “Do you know how Gabriel and I first met?” Tying a loose knot, Jack sat back and looked at Jesse’s curious expression. His eyes were still red and puffy, nose leaking like a faucet, but the tears had stopped. “Would you like to know?” Dipping his hands into the cool stream, Jack scrubbed some of the soot from his arms.

        “Mhm.”

        “Well,” Jack began, “Gabriel and I were not always part of the same herd. In fact, Gabriel was part of a nomadic that wandered all over the land. I’m sure if you ask Gabriel he has stories about places far from here.” Cupping some water in his hands and splashing it along his legs, Jack continued, “Every summer several different herds would pass by my own, it’s rather common and most herds get along with one another. It’s a good time to socialize, find mates, or even travel with the group to new lands.”

        Having turned his attention away from his fishing pole, Jesse had leaned himself against Jack now, listening closely.

        “Gabriel had been in one of those passing herds one summer. Back then he and I were much younger, but Gabriel hasn’t changed much since then. He was sleek, muscular, high ranking in his own herd, but most of all he was mysterious.” Jack’s mind wandered back to that day when Gabriel’s composure was nearly impossible to figure out. He seemed so distant, sturdy, and certainly dangerous. Just a glance from him alone had chills running up Jack’s back.

        “A lot of my herd had fawned over him, but he had ignored them.” A small laugh escaped Jack’s throat as he remembered all the disappointed studs and mares. “He couldn’t seem to be bothered but I happened to notice that he couldn’t stop staring at _me_.” Emphasizing the last word, Jack pressed on. “I hadn’t thought anything of it but the more I saw him, the more I caught him staring. Gabriel could have had anybody, but he just kept looking at me.” Glancing down at Jesse, the colts little tail wagged briefly to one side, deeply interested.

        “What happened?” Jesse’s face scrunched when Jack reached out and wiped his nose for him.

        “Well, for days it seemed to have gone on just like that, a staring contest. I’d always catch him but-” Jack couldn’t help the laugh that pushed past his lips, “every time I caught him he would look away from me like he hadn’t been staring in the first place. I swear I even caught him blushing a few times.” The red tint had looked good on Gabriel’s dark cheeks. Sweet, and certainly made that invulnerable façade of his crack.

        “Gabriel?” Jesse squinted, skeptical. Certainty Gabriel wasn’t thought compassion but Jesse had only ever seen his face as cool and calm as ever.

        “Hard to believe I know, but it’s true.” Gabriel was capable of expression more than just mild content. “When he finally did approach me, he seemed so confident. He was like silk moving through the breeze, but the second he opened his mouth he was a babbling fountain of nonsense.” Those were the good old days. Back when there were more than just a handful of herds left.

        “Really?” Jesse giggled at the thought of Gabriel fumbling over his words.

        “Mhm, no matter what he said he could never seem to find exactly what it was he wanted to say.” In the end it had been Gabriel’s sloppy words of affection that had won Jack over and his constant need to try and find the right words. “Sometimes he even brought me flowers from the mountain side.” Hard to get, but at the time Jack hadn’t been aware Gabriel could turn himself into literal fog to get them.  “When it came time for Gabriel’s herd to finally move on, _he stayed_. It’s been a few years since we’ve become bond mates, and since then we moved to this side of the mountain.” Taking in a deep breath and looking out over the land, Jack closed his eyes and smiled. “It’s been quiet here since it’s just the two of us, but it’s peaceful. Gabriel might say now that it’s a little _less_ quiet with you around but I don’t think he would want it any other way.”

        Caramel eyes lighting up, Jesse smiled wide

 

* * *

 

Crickets had started their soft song as the sun sank further and further below the horizon. The golden fields, now stained a beautiful pink settled as night was drawing near.

       Gabriel moved swiftly through the tall grasses, stopping briefly just outside of his nests circumference.

       He hadn’t expected to see Jack and Jesse already laying in the center, but there they were. Much like the first night Jesse had spent with them, the colt was passed out leaning against Jack’s form Arms tucked under himself, his cheek was pressed against Jack’s back, relishing his soft fur. He’d been asleep, mouth slightly open as his breaths came and went in a steady pattern.

       Jack, who had been awake upon Gabriel’s arrival was humming a soft tune while stroking the top of Jesse’s head. He hadn’t noticed Gabriel right away, at least not until the darker centaur stepped into the nest and took his place.

       Laying himself down next to Jesse and squishing the colt between himself and Jack protectively, Gabriel finally relaxed. What a day it had been.

       “How is he?” Gabriel spoke softly, watching as Jack tucked some of Jesse’s thick locks behind his little ear.

       “Alright for now, but he’s still mourning what he lost so I wouldn’t be surprised if he has bad days.” He was allowed those bad days, he was allowed to cry, scream, and mourn it all. It had all been so unfair. “It won’t be easy, but he’s stubborn though, so I don’t doubt he will be alright. He just needs time to heal.”

       Grunting at that, Gabriel crossed his arms.

       Of all the time he and Jack had, the wound from previous years had left a gouge that still hurt. Sure, a little less as time went on, but the ache was still there. The worry.

       “Did you tell him what happened?” Gabriel watched as Jack shook his head.

       “He’s still only a child, he doesn’t need to know the details. It’s better that he believes it was the fire.” Jesse shifted against Jack’s side, his little fingers digging into his fur. “What good would it do? He’s here now, safe, and that’s what we should focus on.” Not embedding a fear of humans into his mind.

       Looking up from Jesse’s sweet face to Gabriel’s unconvinced one, Jack only sighed. Leaning over, he nosed Gabriel’s scarred cheek. Pushing him with his face only once, Gabriel returned the gesture, nosing him back before finally he relaxed.

       It had been temporary, no matter how much sweet talk and hope Jack had to offer, they would never really be safe. Not their kind, not here.

       Reaching up and placing his hand on Jack’s cheek, Gabriel pressed Jack slightly harder into himself. Unable to keep back the small smile as Jack nipped at his ear, he relaxed into his mate.

       “You should sleep.” Tone heavy, Gabriel pushed Jack’s head to rest on his shoulder. “Sleep.” Placing his own head on Jack’s shoulder, Gabriel allowed his eyes to flutter closed.

       Between them, Jesse shifted slightly. Warm and protected by the two massive bodies, he yawned, cuddling closer to Jack.

 

* * *

 

"What are we doin’ here today?" Stepping into the river, Jesse cocked his head as he noticed the water was shallower than the areas of the river he had previously been brought to.   The water was about an inch above his hooves, allowing him to move more freely through the wide riverbed.

        The water was slightly warmer and clear, allowing Jesse to see all the smooth stones that gave him trouble when he walked around. On occasion he could see fish, significantly smaller than the ones he had tried to catch with Gabriel. He hadn't spent much time gawking at them, instead turning his attention to a fat frog that was hopping along a few stones that breached the water's surface.

        Jack, having been walking around in the water a few feet away from Jesse was busying himself by kneeling down in the water and shifting through the rocks. He'd moved from location to location, repeating the same actions until finally a soft _ah-ha_ caught Jesse's attention once more.

        Frog in hand, Jesse trotted himself over to Jack's side to get a look at what was so interesting. At first he hadn't seen anything until Jack flipped the shimmering round object through his fingers, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger.

        "What is it?" Jesse asks as the frog in his hands croaks.

        "A coin." Obviously, Jesse knew that much, but what exactly was it for? "The humans who live in the villa close to us toss them into the river and make wishes to the river spirits. Whether it is for rain, a good harvest before the frost, or simply luck, they throw them in hoping it is granted." Bending down again and picking up another coin, Jack shows them to Jesse. The second coin is slightly different, smaller and a different color. "Because of the way the river flows, the coins wash down towards us. They usually seem to get stuck at this part of the river most due to the water level being so shallow. If you do a little digging around the rocks, you will find all sorts of little treasures." Flipping open the pouch connected to the leather belt around Jack's waist, Jack dug his fingers into it. Pulling out a handful of coins, all different shapes and colors, he showed them to Jesse.

        Gawking slightly, Jesse dropped his frog and instead took a few coins from Jack in hand. Rolling them over in his palms, he rubbed his fingertips along the ribbed edges.

        "If you find enough of them, you can trade them for other things."

        "What kind of things?" He watched Jack consider the answer, and then smile.

        "If you find enough, I'll show you." Immediately, Jesse whirled around, getting himself right to work. It had taken him a few minutes and a few dud spots before finally he found his first coin. Delighted, he jumped and kicked, bringing his treasure to Jack to put safely in his pouch.

        Allowing Jesse to search for a good forty-five minutes, the colt came back to him. With six more coins in hand, all a verity, Jack placed them into his pouch.

        "We're going to have to get you a belt of your own." Buckling his pouch closed, Jack patted Jesse on the head. "Good work, you found quite a few." The praise had Jesse's face glowing, and together they walked from the stream up onto the dry grass. "Come on then, let's not let all that hard work go to waste." Gesturing Jesse to follow, the colt was quick to obey. Trotting along Jack's side, close enough that their shoulders bumped every few steps, they began walking upriver.

        "Are we gonna trade these with another herd?"

        "Something like that." Glancing down, Jack watched Jesse playing with the bottom point of his bandana. "We will also be meeting a very old friend of mine."

        "Do they migrate like Gabriel's herd?"

        "I suppose you could say that. She's certainly very busy. She only comes around maybe once or twice a year. I like trying to meet her in the villa when she migrates back through."

        Abruptly, Jesse came to a halt, Jack still waking on before him.

        _Don't go there._

        Gabriel's words echoed in his head.

        "The villa?" Jack stopped briefly a few feet ahead of him, his head tilting at the nervous colt curiously. It had only taken him one look of Jesse's cautious expression to know that Gabriel had already expressed his thoughts about the neighboring villa. "But the humans-" Worrying the bottom of his bandana a little more, Jesse began walking again. Taking his place by Jack's side, he frowned up at the larger creature.

        "You don't have to be afraid," Pointing out over the fields to where the villa could be seen in the far distance, Jack continued, "The humans here are kind, and rather open to our customs. As long as we respect them, they respect us." It was true for the most part, sure there had been a few stray humans in the villa who did not like their company but no trouble had ever brewed because of it. "I don't visit often, but when I do it's usually to visit my friend or trade the few coins I have. Do you remember the hooks on your fishing line?" Jack watched as Jesse nodded. "They were given to Gabriel and me for a few coins."

        "But Gabriel doesn't like them." Jack nodded to Jesse, his soft smile fading a bit.

        "Gabriel is not as open to them as I. A long time ago," Jack paused, "a long time ago the humans gave Gabriel a reason to hate them, but they are not all the same. There are good people out there, bad people too, just like us." It was just the way the world worked, but if Jack could make it a little more bearable for Jesse, he would do what he could for him. "Come on, the market should be opening and we don't want to be late." Patting Jesse gently on the back and coaxing him to keep walking, Jack walked ahead.

        Swallowing hard, Jesse quickly followed behind.

The brown and red buildings that seemed like blurred blocks in the distance started to take shape the closer the came to it. A dirt path Jesse hadn't seen before had cut through the thick grasses and together he and Jack stepped onto it.

        The little village had been built into the vast hills, a majority of the buildings clumped together with a few stray ones scattered about. It had been secluded enough that the same people went and came, resulting in its undisturbed nature.

        Growing more and more anxious the closer they drew, Jesse progressively fell back from Jack's side. Standing close to Jack's back legs, Jesse grabbed the larger centaur's tail, holding onto it like a leash.

        "Come on, this way." Jack cooed down to Jesse as they walked through a dilapidated fence. A few large bits of wood had been scattered about the ground and Jesse had wondered if it once part of a large gate that lead into the village itself. Though with no known threats, it seemed pointless to rebuild it, resulting in its current condition.

        They passed through on the main road, a few houses scattered about and a few humans standing close to the structures.

        "Jack! Good to see you again." A man shouted from across the way, his hand up in the air as he waved at the beast.

        Jack waved, and then at a few other people who had called to him, a wide smile on his face.

        "Good morning!" He would call back to them as he continued on the path to the center of the villa.

        Jesse, watching each person closely perked up, curious now. Stepping out from behind Jack, tail still clenched in his hand, he watched as a woman sitting on a stone wall waved at him.

        Blinking in surprise, he slowly raised his free hand and waved back at her.

        "See, nothing to be afraid of here." As they walked, the buildings drew closer and closer together, resulting in humans now bustling across the dirt street. For the most part they had ignored them, but a few had stopped to coo at Jesse.

        He'd hid a few times, a bit overwhelmed but Jack allowed it. Wanting Jesse to get comfortable on his own time, he never lingered long around the cooing woman. Instead he kept walking, smiling each time he glanced back to see Jesse starting to walk close to his side again, tail no longer clenched in his hand.

        He'd wave slowly, but the more people they encountered, the more he raised his hand and the wider his smile became. It hadn't taken more than ten minutes in the village's square for Jesse to be trotting along Jack's side, giggling at all the silly things humans seemed to be.

        "Here we are." Jack gestured to the market place, littered with dozens of booths and people lingering from one to the other. It had been slightly crowded, but the village folks were calm, content, and moving right along.  "This is where you can trade your coin for all sorts of things. Fruits, trinkets, anything you find interesting really as long as you have enough."

        Nose twitching, Jesse turned in place and sniffed the air. God, everything smelt so good here. The fresh breads being placed out had caught his attention first, perfectly plump and round, his mouth water as he looked at them. Not far from the baker's booth, there had been something else smelling just as lovely but Jesse couldn't figure out what it was. A lot of things placed in the booths Jesse had never seen before, but it hadn't mattered, it was all new, and his eyes were bright as stars regardless.

        Turning back around, Jesse jumped in place when he realized Jack wasn't next to him anymore. A slight panic washed over him before he locked onto Jack's golden coat only a few feet away. He'd been standing by a booth conversing with the man behind it.

        Walking up to Jack's side and standing on the tips of his hooves to get a better look at the booths items, Jack looked up at him, and then the man before them.  

        "How has your belt held up?" The man asks, busying his hands with something that looks identical to Jack's own pouch.

        "Perfectly, it's wonderfully crafted and sturdy. I couldn't find a better craftsman if I tried." Face bright, Jack smiles as the man behind the booth laughs.

        "What can I do for you today, Jack? Need a repair? Something new perhaps?" Seeming to be pleased in the company of the centaurs, Jesse watches as the man runs a brush over a leather straps.

        "A belt like my own," Side stepping to reveal Jesse to the man, Jack pointed at his little waist, "preferably half the size of my own."

        Leaning out of his booth and rubbing his scruffy beard, the man eyes Jesse up and down. He hummed, then turned around and rummaged around. Turning back around after but a moment, he presents Jack with a belt. A single pouch is sewed to the side, like Jack's which has four pouches total.

        "It's the smallest one I have. I could make you one but it would take a few days." Watching Jack slide the belt around Jesse's hip and buckle it, it sagged a bit.

        "This one is alright, gives him plenty of time to grow into it." Turning back to the man in the booth, Jack fishes through his own pouch and hands over a decent amount of coins.

        "You two have a good day now." Bowing his head to Jesse and Jack, Jack moved away from the booth and back into the center of the market place.

        "Jesse," Holding out his hand to the little colt, Jesse opened his hands to what was offered, "these are yours, put them in your pouch so they don't get lost." All the coins Jesse had fished from the river fell into his little palms and instantly he did as told. "Come now, we must get to-" Jack began to walk again, and Jesse followed right by his side.

        His nervous walk was now a happy trot, and one hand waving had now become two. He smiled at everyone who walked by and sort of tuned out whatever Jack had been saying. Enjoying himself, he couldn't understand why Gabriel was so against these people. They were certainly pleasant, at least so far. He'd favored the old lady by the bread booth who offered him a little peace because he was _oh so cute_. It was nice here.

        They'd nearly reached the other side of the market place when something had caught Jesse's eye. He'd stopped, stared a moment and looked back between the booth and Jack who hadn't noticed he had stopped.

        _I'll just be a moment._

        Trotting away from Jack's side and up to the front of the booth, Jesse reached out and touched a few of the scarves on display. They were soft, some really fuzzy while others looked like silk. In truth those hadn't interested but, but the hat on display slightly out of his reach had.

        "I've never seen you before." A woman, perhaps middle aged stepped up from behind the booth. She watched as Jesse took a step back, his face a bit anxious as he pulled on his fingers. "You're not from around here, are you?" She sits on a stool behind the booth, leaning forward to prop her chin up on her hand.

        "No, ma'am." The woman hummed at his response and then pointed up at the hat Jesse had been gawking at.

        "Saw you fancied that, want to see it?" She couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her when Jesse's eyes practically turned into stars.

        "May I?" The hat flopped down onto his head, and if his eyes hadn't been stars before, they sure were now.

        "A bit big on you," She said, straightening it out for him, "but I think it suits you well." A cowboy styled hat, decorated with a few fake items Jesse really couldn't identify but it hadn't mattered. He loved it.

        Frantically flipping open his pouch and pulling out the few coins he had found, Jesse found himself spreading them out in his hands. Poking at them, he set his jaw when he realized he had absolutely no idea what value each one of these had to the humans.

        "Uh-" Holding out his hands with all of his coins in them, he showed the woman. "Is this enough?" Blushing sheepishly, Jesse watched the woman's eyes scan the coins in his hands.

        "Sorry sweetheart," She shook her head, "you'll need at least four times what you have here for this hat." The disappointment on Jesse's face was heartbreaking, but he took the hat off and handed it back to the woman. "Don't worry sweetheart, it will be here when you finally do have enough." That seemed to ease the colts mind, but he jumped when his name was suddenly shouted through the marketplace.

        "Jesse?" Jack's familiar tone had him whirling around. He could see Jack not too far off waving at him to come to him.

        "Hafta go!" Waving at the woman and smiling when she waved back, Jesse trotted off in Jack's direction.

        Jack had been waiting for him at the plaza's edge. He was smiling, practically _glowing_ in the sunlight when Jesse stopped in front of him, his little hands on his hips.

        "See something you like?" He watched Jesse nod, "If you come back enough you'll see that there are always all sorts of different things to be traded here. You might see something you like one day, but the next there might be something even more interesting the next." Enjoying Jesse's pout, Jack ruffled his hair.

        "Jack!?" A woman's voice suddenly caught their attention. Together they turned, spotting a woman working her way through the masses of people. "Jack!" Spotting the golden centaur, the woman raised her hand and waved frantically at him.

        "Angela!" Arms open, Jack allowed the woman to run into him, hugging him tightly. Upon release, Angela jumped up, kissing Jack's right cheek, and then the left.

        "It's so good to see you again! It's been too long." Brushing a few stray strands of hair that had escaped her bun from her face, Angela reached up and patted Jack's cheeks. "You look wonderful, Jack."

        "You're as lovely as ever, Angie." Side stepping, Jesse suddenly came into view and Angela's eyes glistened.

        "Oh Jack!" She clasped her hands together, "He's adorable!"

        Jesse, looking between Jack and this fawning woman, sheepishly waved at her. He blinked in surprise when the woman moved towards him.

        "He's not ours," Jack began, "you know Gabriel and I can't-"

        "What's your name?"

        "Jesse." Jesse said, noticing that he was just about as tall as this human while Jack practically towered over her. Despite her small stature, she had a sweet face, gentle eyes, and a kind smile. Everything about her radiated a strange sort of comfort that ease Jesse when she spoke to him.

        "I'm Angela. Jack and I have been friends for a few years. I never thought I would see another centaur besides these two. It's nice to meet you." She had an accent; one Jesse had never heard before but had no issue understanding. He wagged his little tail, delighted to meet her.

        "It's nice to meet you too, ma'am" Pulling lightly at the bottom of his bandana, he watched Angela's eyes wander from his pink face down his arms. Immediately she locked onto the little scratches and cuts. A majority of them had healed by now, but some still were scabbing over.

        "May I?" Extending her hand and pointing to the cuts, he watched the hesitation form on Jesse's face. He'd looked up at Jack who nodded briefly before he handed his arm over.

        Hands as gentle as her face, she took his arms and ran her thumbs over each little scar. Pushing lightly against the skin around the cuts still healing, she looked down his body. A few cuts still ran along his legs and his belly, all healing well.

        "Angela, I hate to ask but would you mind if you looked-"

        "Of course." Releasing Jesse's arm, she gave the colt a sweet smile. "Plus, I have a few gifts for you from my travels." Patting her shoulder bag, she winked at Jack. "I'll meet you at our usual spot in a half an hour?"

        Nodding, Jack bowed his head to Angela as she turned on her heels and waved to them, rushing back off into the marketplace.

 

* * *

 

The village could be seen off in the distance from the place Angela had set her blanket down. She'd sat herself upon it, Jack sitting just off the fabric as to not get it dirty and together they sat in the grasses.

        "So he was just all alone?" Having been half way through braiding Jack's tail, Angela set it down and sighed when Jack nodded to her.

        "After the storm, Gabriel had gone off to scavenge for any fruits the winds might have knocked from the trees." It really hadn't been anything out of the ordinary. "He said he found Jesse tangled in a mess of thorns looking like he had been out there longer than he should have. In truth, if Jesse was out there for as long as we think, it's a miracle he survived on his own." Rubbing at the back of his neck, Jack could only sigh. "He looked terrible the first night Gabriel had brought him back. Once washed though he looked better, but I was worried about a few of the wounds he had." Of course at the time nothing had looked bad enough to warrant an early trip to the village, but still, Jack had worried. "As far as I know, Jesse might have been the only one to have gotten away from the poachers." He'd explained most of what had happened to her as quietly as possible. "When I heard you were coming back, I had hoped you might look him over."

        Angela, a great doctor as Jack knew her to be, wasn't perfectly in tune with their anatomy, but for obvious reasons, some of it she knew. Jack was aware there would be things she was limited to, but having her here was better than nothing at all.

        Touching Jack's hand with the tips of her fingers, Angela gave him a tender smile before her gaze wandered into the golden fields.

        There, Jesse had been prancing about, arms and hands extended as he chased a butterfly. It seemed to elude him, flying higher than he could reach before finally it made the mistake of landing on some tall grass.

        Carefully and with care, Jesse cupped his hands around it, his little tail wagging with joy at his catch. Opening his hands slightly, he peeked inside at it.

        "Jesse!" Looking up from his catch, Jesse spotted Jack waving him over.

        Releasing the butterfly and trotting over to the two by the blanket, Jesse stood politely by its edge. Only when Angela patted the fabric and offered for him to lie down, did he do so.

        "Jesse," She asked, brushing some gold strands of her own hair behind her ear, "Do you mind if you look you over?" She smiled when he cocked his head to the side, his eyes flicking to Jack to make sure it was alright before nodding to her. "Alright, I'm going to touch you a bit, if anything bothers you, let me know, okay?" Waiting for Jesse to nod, she reached out with soft hands and cupped his face.

        He held still, blinking every few seconds as she felt her move her thumbs around his face. Finding it odd that she pressed around his nose and then down his neck where she lingered a little bit, he sat quietly.

        Her hands glided over his shoulder, chest, and then each arm and hand that she inspected a bit more thoroughly than before. Each cut was clean, scabbed, and already on the way to healing without infection.

        "So far, so good," Angela said as she worked, touching lightly around one a series of strange marks along Jesse's left wrist. The pattern looked like a bite, but the rows of teeth she couldn't identify. "Does this hurt?" She poked around the flesh, but Jesse shook his head. "Good, is anything bothering you at all? Does anything hurt?" Her voice was so kind, caring, and Jesse shook his head. "Good."

        "I know it's not your field, but his hoof is cracked." Getting a second opinion on it would ease his mind.

        Jesse, without needing to be asked, extended the hoof in question. He watched Angela take it into her hands and run her fingers over the crack. For a moment she considered it.

        "Well, the nail looks like it’s growing back just fine. I don't see anything that looks irritated. I would suggest visiting the _farrier_ in the village if putting pressure on it causes any pain." Placing Jesse's hoof down, she smiled at him, "No pain?" Again, Jesse shook his head. "I think he'll be just fine, Jack. He's in good hands now."

        Tucking his hoof back under himself and laying like a loaf, Jesse watched as Angela turned around and started to shuffle through her bag.

        "Which reminds me, I have these for you-" Jesse watched as Angela pulled two palm sized green and red fruits from her bag. She placed both down in her lap and retrieved a third.

        "What is that?" He'd never seen such things growing in the fields he'd lived in and seen nothing like them in the marketplace.

        "Mangos." Jack answered, "They don't grow around here."

        "I wish I had more but I could only fit so many in my bag." Angela had laughed. "I had hoped they wouldn't go bad before I made it here and look - still ripe." She held one out to Jesse. "They are sweet, just like you." Handing it over, she watched Jesse sniff it and give it a gentle squeeze.

        Pulling his knife from his pouch, Jack held out his hand for the fruit and Jesse handed it over to him. He watched curiously as Jack started to peel it. Slicing a few thick pieces of the orange fruit off, Jack handed them down to Jesse.

        Slightly slimy, Jesse placed a single slice in his mouth. Pleased with the sweet taste, he ate a second, and then a third. Like a little baby bird, he held his hands up to Jack, patiently waiting for more slices.   

        "Is it good?" Covering her mouth as she giggled, Angela watched Jesse nod frantically. "Good. I have something for you Jack." Reaching back around into her bag and pulling out a rectangular box, Jack stopped peeling and gasped.

        "Swiss~" Is all the woman had to say as she pulled the cover off the box, revealing two rows of perfectly placed chocolates.

        "You're too good to me." Accepting the box, Jack was practically vibrating. He'd had a serious soft spot for human sweets.

        "I have something for Gabriel too." Pulling out a small bottle of whiskey from her bag next, she handed it over to Jack who laughed.

        "He'll love it." Tucking the bottle into the larger of his pouches, Jack sat back, enjoying the cool summer breeze. "How long are you staying this time?"

        "My team will be around for a few weeks before we move to the next base. Like usual, you know." Jack nodded at her.

        "I'm thankful you come to visit, I know it's quite a ways from your base."

        "You're worth the drive, even if Gabriel doesn't always visit. I enjoy your company." Looking at Jesse and winking at him, Angela leaned back on her palms, "Besides, Jesse's less grumpy."

 

* * *

 

 

His arms were crossed, irritation written all over his scarred face. His eyes were closed, and he had done his best to ignore Jack who had lain down by his side, gently bumping him with his shoulder.

        "Don't be mad." He bumped against Gabriel again, though his gaze was focused out over the moonlit fields. Out in the dark grasses, Jesse was moving about, trotting in circles as she chased the fireflies all around. Currently outnumbered, he had no issue getting a bunch in his hand at once.

        "Tsk." The noise drew Jack's gaze to Gabriel's furrowed eyebrows.

        "You know Angela is a good person, Gabe. After everything she did for us, you really can't doubt her. She loved Jesse the moment she saw him, and I really think he likes her too. It doesn't always have to be black and white with the humans." The angry expression on his mates face didn't falter, but he did finally look at Jack.

        "If Jesse involves himself with humans, he's bound to get hurt sooner or later." It was Jack's turn now to make a noise of displeasure.

        "You know that's true for anybody." It's not like Centaurs and other mythical creatures of the forests had clean hands. "Jesse should choose for himself who he wants in his life. If it includes humans, then it includes humans. Gabe, it's just us here," Jack's voice is soft now, "he has no herd to socialize with, just us. There is nobody here his age to play with him." At least there were children in the village, and getting to know the people would open doors for Jesse in time. "He needs to community. He doesn't deserve to be lonely." That finally had Gabriel's displeased look fading.

        "I just don't want to see him hurt."

        'I know, Gabe." Leaning over and nosing Gabriel's scarred cheek, Jack left a tender kiss there. "He's quite a little ham though-" Gabriel rubbed his beard at that and hummed in agreement as he watched Jesse jump up in the field, giggling to himself as the fireflies zipped around him. "This is from Angie," Holding up the small bottle of whiskey, Jack's sweet smile turned sly when Gabriel's eyes widened.

        Snatching the bottle from his mate and setting it to his side, he cleared his throat and turned his head to the side.

        "I can _tolerate_ Angela, I suppose."

        "She misses you." There was no answer, but it had been alright.

        Jesse trotted up to them, hands cupped together as he popped himself into the flat grass of the nest. Without waiting for Jack and Gabriel to scoot over, he flopped himself down between their bodies and got comfortable.

        "Tired already?" Jack asked as Jesse opened his hands and released all the fireflies he had. The soft orange glow illuminated their faces, and Jack soft a small hint of a smile on Gabriel's face.

        "Yeah," Yawning and resting his head against Gabriel's back this time, Jesse watched the fireflies with heavy eyes. He blinked, each time his eyes struggling to open before finally the remained closed.

        Reaching down and rubbing Jesse's furry belly, Jack stared adoringly down at him.

        Gabriel, who had been watching the two of them, felt the twisting anxiety in his chest start to dissipate. He'd been mad at Jack about the village, mad about something bad happening and being left alone, but as of right now, nothing could be more perfect than this.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normally I don't like leaving off on anything but a cliffhanger but the outline for this was a mile long and this chapter was longer than what I normally so you're going to have to take my word for it when I say Hanzo is in the next chapter including some bits of Jesse's journey from one side of the mountain to Jack and Gabe's side.  
> Anyway, im knee deep in my last finals for my LAST semester and im stressed to the max to get things done, so please forgive me that I dont have time to actually have these edited but I hope they are not too bad.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please take a look at this lovely fanart by saimincoatl: [Here](http://saimincoatl.tumblr.com/post/168216172175/i-drew-fanart-for-this-fic-bcos-its-really-cute)  
> 

Jesse

_The voice was soft, distant in his ear, echoing softly in the back of his mind._

Jesse

_Voice familiar, he felt himself suddenly being pulled from the comforts of slumber. His body, shifting hard in place, was being shaken._

Jesse!

_Eyes fluttering open, Jesse squinted at the blurry face before him. He blinked a few times, struggling to get his mother’s worried face into view._

_"Ma?" Voice gritty with slumber, Jesse tried to rub at his tired eyes. He hadn't gotten the chance to considering his mother hooked her hand under his arm and pulled him up to his feet._

_"We need to go!" Why was she yelling? Jesse blinked rapidly to clear his vision again, his eyes burning for some reason. "Come on Jesse! We have to go baby!" He hadn't understood, at least not until his burning eyes wandered from his mother’s terrified face to the burning fields behind her. Members of their herd could be seen galloping about, panic written all over their faces as they tried to get away._

_"W-what's hap-" His mother hadn't given him the chance to finish. Instead she pulled on him, yanking him away from the flames. Without letting go of Jesse's arm, she broke into a smooth gallop, just fast enough that Jesse could keep up with her._

_"We have to get to the forest!" The flames roared behind them, forcing her to shout over the noise of it and the other herd members. "We have to get far away from here!" They bolted passed a few of the larger male centaurs who were waving their arms, directing herd members to safer ground. It had been utter panic, centaur after centaur bumping into one another as the flames spread faster than they could find better ground._

_A loud popping noise behind them seemed to intensify the herd's need to flee. If there hadn't been panic before, there sure had been now. They shoved one another, some centaurs tripping, others jumping over patches of flame and darting whichever way was clear._

_"What's that noise?" The pops sounded again, and when Jesse tried to look over his shoulder, his mother yanked on his arm harder._

_"Be quick!" Sweat had glossed over his mother’s face, her pace only increasing when the popping noises seemed to be getting more frequent and louder. "Hurry," Her grip on his arm was starting to hurt and he whined, once again trying to look over his shoulder as they ran side by side._

_Behind him, the beautiful fields he had once called home were completely engulfed in flames. He'd never seen fire so high, licking up at the stars and roaring louder than any beast he had ever heard. He'd been scared, and his heart throbbed in his chest when little beings, too far for him to really see, emerged from the fire._

_"We're almost there!" The forest line was in sight, and Jesse's mother broke into her full gait._

_"Ma!" Jesse cried out, his little legs struggling desperately to keep up with his mother. Her grip on his arm was like iron and he could feel his bone ache at the pressure, but she refused to let go, tugging him along by her side until another loud pop was heard._

_"Ah!" Stumbling, Jesse's mother went down. In a flurry of limbs and panic, she'd accidentally taken Jesse with her. Together they slid along the grass, Jesse recovering from the fall much faster than her._

_"M-Ma! Mama?!" Standing on legs like jelly, Jesse fell down by his mother's front. Already she had been sitting herself up, her arms trembling as she panted. Her beautiful long golden brown hair fell over her shoulder, hiding her pained face from her little colt. "M-Ma?!"_

_"It's alright, baby," Breath ragged, she greeted Jesse with a soft smile when he brushed her hair to the side, "it' alright." Skin pale, she reached out and cupped Jesse's face, stroking a thumb under his tear filled eyes._

_"What's wrong, Ma? What's wrong?" The popping noise sounded again, and again, and in the field behind the, a centaur attempting to get away dropped. It flipped over itself, coming to a hard landing on its side. "What's happening?" Voice cracking, Jesse's wandering gaze found its way back to his mother's sweet eyes._

_"Jesse," Cupping the small centaur's face with both hands now, Jesse's mother kept his head in place so he would stay focused on her, "I need you to do something for me." Beads of sweat rolled from her forehead down her face, falling to the ground one by one._

_"What is it?" The popping noises sounded again, and when Jesse tried to look past his mother again, she pulled his face back into place._

_"I need you to go into the forest," Brushing away thick tears that rolled down Jesse's cheeks; she cooed to him a moment, "I need you to go there, and I need you to hide. Can you do that for me?" Already she could feel him shaking his head in her hands, but she squeezed his cheeks a little harder. "Jesse, listen to me." He was terrified and she could tell just by the look in his eyes. "I need you to go into the forest and find somewhere to hide. Find a stump or a cave, anything that will make it hard for anybody to find you. Do you understand?" She kept brushing away tear after tear. "I'll come and find you."_

_"I don't wanna leave you-" Hiccupping, Jesse allowed himself to be drawn in by his mother. She nuzzled him, squeezing her eyes shut as the pops behind them were getting louder._

_Kissing Jesse's damp cheeks, she pulled him in for another hug, her hands sliding over his back and through his hair. Pushing him away after a moment, she kissed his forehead and wiped her own eyes._

_"I'll be right behind you, baby." Her trembling fingers brushed some hair aside that was clinging to Jesse's own sweaty face. "I won't be long."_

_"Why can't you come with me?" Pulling on her arms, she wouldn't budge from the place she had fallen. "Please," He tugged on her again, hooves sliding in the grass. No matter what, she didn't budge, but instead gently took Jesse's little hand and kissed his palm._

_"I'll be right behind you, just go." The flames were starting to catch up now, roaring behind them as another centaur went down. The black specks Jesse had seen moving through the flames appeared once more. "GO!" She screamed. "Go! Run and don't look back, baby!" Pushing Jesse towards the protection of the forest, her heart sank when he reached for her. "Go, I'll find you! I promise baby, I'll find you." She grimaced as Jesse's little arms slid from her grasp._

_Torn, Jesse did as told, rushing the remaining distance to the forest line. He paused there, looking back at his mother who still lay in the grass, her hair slightly floating by her shoulders. She was smiling despite the few tears streaming down her cheeks. He couldn't hear her anymore, but he could see her mouth moving, no doubt telling him it was alright to keep going._

_Swallowing hard, Jesse bolted into the darkness of the forest, completely out of sight in seconds._

_Letting out a relieved sigh, Jesse's mother sagged in place, vision blurry and calm expression quickly exchanging for one of agony. She half turned, wincing in pain as she tried to get a look at her side. Struggling to blink her vision into focus, she didn't need it to be perfectly clear to see the singular puncture hole in her side._

_"Damn it." She'd managed to keep Jesse from seeing it, knowing he would have stayed by her side no matter what she said, but she couldn't have that. She had to get him someplace safe, someplace away from here, and wounded like she was, she would only slow him down. It was better like this, he was gone and would find someplace to hide like the good little thing he was, and she would keep these things away from him, by any means necessary._

_Struggling to stand on unreliable legs, Jesse's mother got to her feet. Swaying a bit and finding it difficult to get the teetering world under her to settle, she took in a deep breath._

_Behind her, the beings drew near, yipping and hooting at one another as they circled around a fallen Centaur. They hadn't spotted her yet, probably having assumed the first shot had taken her down for good._

_Turning towards the beings, she counted three, maybe four. She hadn't doubted there were others, somewhere behind the flames, claiming their trophies._

_"I won't let you," Staggering forward, Jesse's mother grit her teeth, "get to him." Her walk was pained and sloppy, but she broke out into a canter, and then a full blown gallop. Thundering her way across the ruined fields, she hurled herself at the humans, eyes ablaze._

 

_ ~~~~ _

 

_ He'd done exactly what he had been told, running until his legs hurt and until each harsh breath he drew in stung at his lungs. Even then, he continued to run, jumping over branches and rocks, burying himself deeper and deeper into a forest he had always been warned not to venture in alone. _

_He hadn't exactly been sure how long or how far he had run, but he finally stopped when he found exactly what he had been looking for. A tree, uprooted and lying on its side would provide him with the shelter he needed for the night._

_Crawling under the exposed roots and hiding himself in the little hole they had once been buried in, Jesse hunkered down. He huddled in on himself, the adrenaline starting to wear away and the utter fear now taking over._

_He'd left her, all alone there in the field with that fire and that strange noise. He wondered if it had been thunder, for days now the sky had swelled a deep gray but no rain had fallen yet. If it had been incoming thunder, it had sounded strange._

_"Ma-" Taking in a shaky breath, the tears flooded down Jesse's cheeks again. He sobbed, wrapping his arms around himself and curling up into the smallest shape he could manage. For what felt like hours he had cried and eventually he started to struggle to stay away. His eyes and limbs were heavy, begging him to let them rest. He'd not allow it, shaking his head and sitting himself back up to try and stay awake only to wilt in place a few minutes later._

_He had to be awake for when his mother called to him. She would be worried if he didn't answer her, and he didn't want that._

_In the end, exhaustion had won the battle and Jesse had passed out slumped against the uneven tree roots._

_When morning had arrived, Jesse had woken with a start. He panted, glancing around the unfamiliar area before finally pulling himself out of the hole in the ground and out into the open air._

_It had to have been early in the morning, considering the soft dew that was now forming along the trees and the faint fog that had rolled in. Or was it smoke? He wouldn't really tell considering eyes still burned._

_He hadn't gotten a good look at the area the night before, but the forest around him was still as eerier as ever. Dense trees surrounded him in all directions, the land uneven and littered with rocks ten times his size. If he had been with his herd or even his mother, it might have been peaceful, but alone, it was suffocating._

_Above, the graying sky was deepening in color, rain threatening on the horizon while the familiar sound of thunder rumbled far off in the distance._

_Doing a small circle in place to get a good look at everything around him, Jesse raised his little hands to his mouth and called out._

_"Mama!" His voice echoed, and no response came. "Mama!" He tried again, cocking his head to one side to listen a little more carefully. Nothing._

_Sniffling and pulling anxiously at his fingers, Jesse turned in place, eyes frantically looking over one tree after another. It had dawned on him suddenly that he hadn't been sure exactly where he was. The few times his herd had wandered into the forest they had never strayed far from the tree line. The luscious green fields had always been in sight, but now, Jesse saw nothing but more and more forest in each direction. It hadn't helped that he wasn't exactly sure how far he had ran, or which way he had come from._

_Pacing back and forth for a few minutes, Jesse swallowed hard and began to walk off through the brush. It had been too dark to really get a good idea of landmarks he could follow, but he wasn't sure he could just sit around and wait all day. Besides, a few other centaurs had manages to break through the forest's line, maybe he would cross paths with one of them, regroup and find his mother._

_He walked on, bringing his hands up to his mouth every twenty or so minutes to call out to his mother. He'd call to his herd mates, his mother, anybody that might hear him. Louder and louder he would shout until he was left panting and light headed. No matter how long or how loud he would yell, he was always met with the dreadful sound of silence._

_He'd called for hours, finally falling silent when his throat felt raw and dry. His pace had slowed as well, hooves hurting with each step. More than anything he just wanted to lay down, mother at his side stroking his hair like she always did. She'd sooth the worry bubbling in his belly and tell him all of this was nothing to worry about._

_Walking into a small clearing, Jesse looked up through the break in the trees. He sniffled, running his hand under his snotty nose before taking in a deep breath._

_He wailed out for his mother, the noise once again echoing through the empty forest._

_Night had arrived again, and Jesse had walked until it became too dark to see. Luckily for him, the forest had been little with all sorts of nooks and crannies to hide himself in for the night. The land had an abundant supply of fallen and rotting trees for him to squish himself under. Like before, he hid himself under the large unearthed roots and tucking his legs snugly under his weight._

_His belly growled and he winced, the dull pang of hunger having begun to irritate him several hours before. It had been easy to ignore, but now, settled in for the night, the ache was all he could feel._

_Sleep hadn't come easy to the little colt on the second night. The forests noises kept his heart racing, each creak and groan of the surrounding area making him fear something had been out there. Too afraid to look, he had hoped that if it was his mother, she would call to him. But his name was never said, and the noises he hadn't ever heard before continued through the night. It had all left Jesse with a sad amount of sleep in the end._

_By morning's light, Jesse had been pulled from his limited slumber by the hiss of falling rain. It hadn't been enough outright for him to open his eyes, but the faint little droplets of water that dripped down against his hot cheek had._

_Body aching, he sat himself up, little fists reaching up to rub at sunken eyes. When he blinked and looked out from under where he had been hiding, all he saw was the gray haze a downpour brought. The thunder he had heard rolling far off in the distance the day before was now slightly louder. Rumbling above, he felt the air vibrate around him._

_Shifting in place, Jesse suddenly made a face at the sensation of wetness underneath his form. His legs and soft underbelly had been soaked, and upon looking down he noticed he was lying in a small pool of rainwater that had gathered in the hole. The forest floor had grown soggy, causing him to sink a good inch into the earth, coating his fur in mud. There really had been little he could do about it, so he hadn't fussed long. He was dry for the most part, though if the hole continued to fill with water he would have to move somewhere else or risk getting stuck. Until then, traveling in the rain would be pointless. The rain was falling hard enough that seeing more than a few feet in front of him was impossible. Not only that but the wind had seemed to pick up, whistling through the trees and causing them to say one direction rather harshly._

_Running a muddy hand across his nose, Jesse sniffled and curled back up, scooting a little closer to the base of the tree for shelter from the wind._

_The area lit up, a loud clap of thunder following shortly behind, causing Jesse to flinch in place. Trembling and coiling his arms around himself, Jesse ducked his head. Again, his stomach growled and for a little while he had forgotten how hungry he was._

_"Ngn." The throbbing ache was worse now, his stomach feeling bare. Unable to remember the last time he had eaten, he really wished he had managed to find something during his long walk through the forest, but he had been to distracted calling for his mother. Now kicking himself for it, he sat, alone, wet, and starving._

_Curling up into a tight ball, Jesse begged for sleep to come, but for hours it hadn't leaving him to jump with every clap of thunder and tremble each time a hard gust of wind blew through his shelter._

_Eventually he dozed off, when the wind had died down and the soft rumble of thunder had lulled his exhausted form to sleep. The next time he had woken up, he hadn't exactly been sure how long he had been asleep. After the second night, the days seemed to mesh together._

_Upon looking up, Jesse noticed right away that the pouring rain had calmed to a steady drizzle. The whipping wind had also died down, now barely rustling the trees._

_He'd tried to stand, legs briefly getting stuck in the mud and causing him to stagger out of his hidey hole.  He'd felt dizzy, body a little too light for his liking as he stepped on unsteady muddy legs._

_From there, he walked on, doing his best to ignore the hungry bite still irritating his belly and the growing thirst in his mouth. As he walked, he'd tilt his head up, mouth open like a baby bird for the rainwater to fall in. It had done little to quench his thirst, but it was something._

_He'd walked until he came across a strange pass carved into the land. Almost having walked by it, hidden by a dense set of trees, Jesse had paused by it and considered it. It was narrow, no more than six or seven feet wide. The rocks that made up the walls at each side had been too tall to see over, but it had lead closer to the mountain, and perhaps even cut through it._

_He would have walked by it, but something along the ground by the passes entrance had caught his eye._

_Placing his hoof in the unmistakable track along the ground, Jesse's heart started to flutter. The hoof print was three times the size of his own, meaning an adult had passed through at some point. It was deeply marked in the mud, suggesting that perhaps they had wandered through sometime in the last day._

_"Ma?" Voice like sandpaper, Jesse stepped forward and through the pass. Keeping his eyes on the ground, he followed the tracks right on through. A part of him had been slightly disappointed to find nothing but more forest on the side. By now he had hoped to be reunited with his mother, she had said she would be right behind him, right? Where was she now? Why was she taking so long?_

_Swallowing down the knot in his throat, Jesse moved on, continuing to follow the tracks for what felt like hours before a series of bushes caught his attention._

_He'd never been happier to see blueberry bushes, though it seemed they for the most part had already been picked clean. Thankfully, a few branches still had a small amount of berries that he plucked free. Greedily stuffing them into his mouth he swallowed them down, Jesse scavenged for more, coming up with nothing._

_Despite the pathetic meal, the dozen or so berries he had managed to find did little to chase off the painful pang in his belly. Still, it had been better than nothing. It was unlikely he would survive the week if he didn't at least find something._

_Resuming his search, Jesse followed the tracks for a few more miles. Unfortunately for Jesse, the prints had vanished when the centaur he had been following had walked across a rock covered surface. Muddy tracks had been left for a small distance, but eventually faded away, leaving Jesse to frantically search around for anything else that might help._

_He's ran back up to the rocks were the prints had vanished, rushing across the hard surface only to come to a screeching halt when there was no more ground for him to gallop upon. He'd teetered on the cliff’s edge, arms flailing as he scrambled back, falling hard on his backside and looking down at the forest floor._

_It hadn't been a very high cliff, the height of it perhaps only twenty or so feet, but too high for him to jump from for sure._

_Taking a moment to catch his breath, Jesse surveyed the land. The forest never really changed much no matter where he had gone. The land was always uneven, twisting and winding in all sort of confusing ways but he had spotted something he had yet to see._

_A large pond or maybe it had been a swamp, he wasn't too sure, was not that far below him. Its water was a murky brown, thick patches of gray and green moss floating across the surface._

_He blinked suddenly, a large mass lying by the water's edge taking him off guard. He blinked again, hoping his eyes were not tricking him when he recognized the familiar form of a centaur._

_Scrambling back onto his feet and running back and forth against the cliff's edge, Jesse looked for the best way down. It had taken him a few minutes to find some rocks to the left he could use, jumping for one to the next before finally jumping down onto the grass below. The jump had still been a little too high for him, his front legs buckling under him and causing his knees to skid across the ground._

_Catching himself with his hands, he hissed when he felt the burn of his scraped knees. It hadn't stopped him from throwing himself up, half trotting and limping towards the pond. All that mattered was getting to that Centaur._

_"Hey!" Jesse cried out, knot returning to his throat as he tried not to cry. "Hey!" The closer he got the clearer look he got at the centaur. They had been lying on their side, back to Jesse as he cautiously approached._

_Rounding the creature and getting a look at its pale face, Jesse swallows hard. They didn't look hurt, but they were wet,_ drenched _actually. Having found that odd that they would be asleep and soaking wet, Jesse knelt down by their side._

_"H-Hey, wake up-"Reaching out and placing his hands on the centaur's fur covered shoulder, Jesse shook them. It had been gentle at first, but when they didn't stir, he shook a little harder. "Please wake up-" He shook even harder, the centaur's body barely moving, seeming stiff. "Please, I have to find my Ma." Voice wobbling, Jesse felt tears threatening to spill over._

_Behind Jesse, the pond's water rippled suddenly. He hadn't noticed it right away, but the hairs along his neck had risen in warning, something not feeling right. Turning slowly to face the water, Jesse's eyes searched absently until the water rippled again._

_Licking his dry lips, Jesse's eyes widened as something started to rise from the water. It had pointed ears and eyes black and glistening like the night sky. It hadn't surfaced more than a few inches from the water, its eyes looking from him to the larger centaur next to him._

_"Oh, sweet thing," The creature lifted its head from the water to speak, rows of clear teeth glinting in the low light, "I hate to tell you, but that one's not getting up anytime soon." It continued to rise until its torso was out of the water, now casually leaning up on the mossy covered grass. It rested its chin on in its palm, fingers webbed and clawed. Whatever it was, it hadn't looked that much different from Jesse's upper half aside from the visible gills lining its neck and just around its ribs. Its tail, which Jesse saw casually flip out of the water and vanish back below the dark surface was a deep green, making it practically invisible when it was submerged._

_"What," Jesse swallowed hard as he looked between the creature before him and his kin, "what happened to him?" He watched the creature in the water absently tap at its teeth with a long claw, looking indifferent._

_"Oh, I dunno," Lolling to one side, the creature picked at the grass, "the forest has lots of ways of taking what it wants when it's hungry." The creatures pointed ears perked up when it heard Jesse's little belly growl. "Speaking of hunger-" Pulling itself up onto the grass a little more, Jesse caught a glimpse of where its skin ended and where the beautiful brown and gold scales began. The sound of it purring brought his attention back to its slide face. "You look tired, sweet thing, why don't you... rest." It hissed on the last word, its tail suddenly surfacing from the water to deposit a small fish on the grass. "_ Eat _."_

_Mouth practically watering at the meekly wiggling fish, Jesse's stomach twisted. He was starving, he had been for days and this was the best thing he had seen in all that time. Sure it was small, but it was a better meal than the berries, and he hadn't had to catch this one._

_Blinded by hunger, Jesse leaned forward, hands out to snag the fish when suddenly his little wrists are gabbed._

_Gasping and feeling himself suddenly being jerked towards the water, Jesse dug his back hooves into the soft ground._

_"_ Two _treats? It must be my lucky day." The creature cackled, yanking Jesse again, his hooves finding little to no traction in the rain soaked land._

_"Stop!" He'd tried to kick his front legs out but failed as the creature yanked on him again, forcing his front down. "Please! Stop! What are you doing?!" Eyes snapping open as a sharp pain zings up through his arms, Jesse screamed. The creature's claws dug into his delicate skin, raking long marks through his flesh._

_He jerked, his hooves suddenly slipping out from under him and in those few seconds he thought he was going to hit the ground, he was dragged into the water._

_In a flurry of panic, Jesse thrashed, bucking and kicking in all directions as the cloudy water obscured his vision. He felt another sharp pain through his wrist and looked down, seeing the creature biting into him. It yanked him harder, dragging him closer to the bottom of the pond, taking away the surface and the air that came with it._

_Legs still thrashing, he felt something tight coiling around his belly and he didn't have to look down to know it was the creatures snake like body. It tightened, and he screamed under the surface, bubbles escaping his mouth along with what little air he had managed to keep in._

_He thrashed, harder than he ever had in all his life, legs and arms flailing about at the creature until finally the point of his back hoof struck something. He felt it slice into the creature, and it must have hurt due to the fact the coiling body around him suddenly loosened. It had been enough, or at least he had to make it enough._

_Kicking off the creature and working his way back up to the surface, Jesse gasped greedily for air. He'd flailed, arms wild as he swam as quickly as he could across the water and to the grass._

_Digging his fingers into the dirt, he crawled from the water, hauling himself back onto land and crawling from the water._

_He had managed only a few inches when something snagged his bad leg, yanking him back to the ground. This time, he had caught on the grass, knotting his fingers in it to keep himself from being dragged back into the water._

_"NO!" He sobbed, looking over his shoulder at the hissing creature tugging on him. It hadn't mattered that it was digging its claws into him again, he trashed, kicking out his back legs and connecting with the creature's chest. The impact sent it flying backwards into the water, giving Jesse enough time to throw himself up and bolt._

_It hadn't mattered what way he went, as long as it was as far away from that pond as possible. Far away from that creature and its needle-pointed teeth, and away from its tearing claws._

_Eyes a blurry mess from tears and the murky water, Jesse couldn't really see where he had been going. In the end he had tripped, his hoof catching against a rock and cracking as he went down. His speed hadn't helped, the fall hurtling him down a small hill and causing him to bounce a few times before finally he slid to a stop._

_He lay there, unmoving for what felt like an eternity. His body had ached before, but now moving anything was unbearable. His joints throbbed bitterly, his hooves ached and his now cracked hoof sent painful zings of agony up through his leg. Each slice along his skin pulsed, but he didn't move. No, instead he just lay there on his side, allowing the drizzling rain to further drench his already soaking wet body._

_Covered head to hoof in mud, he shivered, cold now, but no energy left to try and find shelter. He was tired of running, tired of it all._

_The world around him flickered, and he made no attempt to keep the corners of his vision from fading inward on himself. Instead, he embraced it, allowing the darkness to take him, at least just for a little while._

Jesse

_The words once again echoed in the back of his mind, his eyes refusing to open this time. It wasn't his mother, her voice was sweet and soft, this was... had been deep and menacing._

Jesse

_He opened his eyes, not yet getting up from the place he had fallen. How long he had laid there, again he had no idea but from the stiffness of his joints, it had been a while._

Jesse

_"Stop." Voice gritty and barely audible, Jesse shifted in place. His wet hair clung to his face and he could feel the mud soaking through his fur._

Jesse

_The forest called to him again, and he winced, baring his teeth as sheer fear swelled around him._

_"Stop." He cried, struggling to push himself up from the ground. "Stop!" He sat up, and then stood, legs creaking under his weight. "leave me alone!" He wailed, turning in the other direction and yelling it again._

Jesse

_"I said stop!" The voice came again and again and again, louder and louder each time and from all different directions. "STOP!" Slapping his hands over his ears, Jesse reared and bolted. Running in whatever direction he had been facing, he tried to escape the voices. "STOP!" Tears flooded his face, terrified he would never escape this nightmare. "Please! Stop!" Bursting through a bush, Jesse's legs suddenly felt themselves being tangled up in something._

_Throwing his hands out as he felt himself tripping, he took another tumble. He'd tried to catch himself, but whatever was snagged around his legs bit into his already wounded flesh._

_He cried out, finally sliding to a stop the moment his body connected with another bush. From there he struggled, legs kicking out and hands grabbing at the now visible vines. The plant had been lined with little thorns, and the more he struggled, the more they dug into him._

_He tried to calm himself, legs slightly out of sorts as he began to untangle the vines. It had been a fruitless effort, considering they had knotted themselves up pretty well when he had ran._

_His struggles had grinded to a halt when he heard something rustling in the distance. He listened, hearing it again and his heart started to beat like a drum against his chest._

_Swallowing hard, he heard the something stepping closer to him and in a matter of seconds, the bush he had crashed under parted._

_A dark figure loomed over him, and Jesse's eyes widened._

Jesse

 

* * *

 

"Jesse!" Gabriel snapped, struggling to keep Jesse's flailing form still against his body. "Jesse!" He shouted again, shaking the sleeping colt as it jerked in he jerked in his arms. "Jesse! Wake up!" Slapping at Jesse's soaked cheek, Gabriel watched his little face twist and contort, his screams having woken him along with several sharp kicks to his side. " _Come on_!" Gabriel hissed, shaking Jesse a little harder until finally his little eyes snapped open.

Pupils blown out, Jesse's eyes search Gabriel's face frantically, suddenly disoriented. He blinks, not realizing he had been hyperventilating the entire time until his lungs and chest ached. He could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, and when he finally seemed to lock his gaze onto Gabriel fast crocodile tears flooded his eyes.

"It's alright," Gabriel began as Jesse's lower lip started to violently tremble, "It was just a nightmare." Pulling Jesse close, Gabriel allowed him to sob into his chest. He hushed him, but it had done little good as Jesse just screamed, his little fists curling up and his nails digging into his palms. "Alright, alright-" Gabriel sighed, rocking with the upset colt, his callused hands running up and down his back and through his hair to sooth him but it didn't seem to work for a while. "You're safe, you're alright." He rocked for as long as it took, keeping Jesse's head pressed close.

Jack, who was sitting by their side, had a grim look on his face. He watched Gabriel rock with Jesse and included his own soft coos of comfort. He stroked at Jesse's head, wiping his tears away one after another but they just kept coming. One after another, the flood seemed to have no end.

It had taken a good hour before Jesse had finally settled, emotionally exhausted, he sagged against Gabriel, each breath drawn in causing him to hiccup and quiver. His eyes were distant, and any attempt to talk to him was met with silence. Instead, he buried his face into Gabriel's side, swollen eyes aching now.

As time ticked on Jesse's breathing settled along with his stiffened body. He sagged in place, eyes closed as he drifted back into a restless slumber. His face had calmed, but it had been due to the fact that Gabriel and Jack had both squished Jesse a little tighter between them, hoping it would make him feel a bit safer. In a way it had worked.

Jack and Gabriel had remained awake for the rest of the night, taking turns holding Jesse and humming to him. Well, Jack had done the majority of the humming; Gabriel had just kept Jesse safe in his arms when it was his turn.

Unfortunately, the nightmares hadn't stopped there. As Jack had said, Jesse would still be healing from everything that had happened to him. Jesse was young and had a lot of time to heal, but he hadn't expected him to bounce back right away. He'd need time to have bad days, days he could yell, scream, and cry about it all he wanted. It would be difficult, but they would handle it.

Even on days Jesse seemed fine, he refused to talk about whatever it had been he dreamed about. He'd deflect and talk about something else, something completely different and Jack would allow it. He'd never push Jesse, figuring the colt would talk when he was ready. And he did. On rainy days Jesse would talk about his herd, his mother, and other things, but he's always trail off, never finishing. It was a start.

As the days progressed and Jesse became more and more familiar with the new land around him, Jack had often taken him exploring. Sure, Jesse could see everything that the fields had to offer, but it's when Jack took him into the forest one day that he seemed a bit weary. Thankfully, Jack hadn't taken him in too deep but instead showed him where the river lead to inside of the forest.

Jesse's eyes were as round as dinner plates when he saw the beautiful waterfall, water clear as crystal as it fell into a small pool below. He'd kept his distance from it at first, standing on the tips of his hooves to get a look inside of the water before advancing.

He could see the colorful rocks below, and the utter lack of anything wanting to drag him under beside a few scattering fish. It had been beautiful and even better; several of the trees surrounding the waterfall had fruits big and ripe hanging from their branches.

Jack had explained that this was where he came some days for some peace, and peaceful it was. So much so that he and Jack had laid themselves in the soft grass after Jack had retrieved a few apples to just sit and appreciate the land. They laughed with one another, Jack splashing Jesse on occasion, and Jesse splashing him back.

When it came time to return to the field, Jack had showed Jesse how to follow the river back out. Having told Jesse it was alright for him to return to the waterfall as he wished, he warned him not to go any farther than it. There territory only went so far, and though they had figured they might be the only ones around, it was still better to be safe than sorry.

For the most part, Jesse had listened, rarely visiting the waterfall on his own and instead spending the majority of his time at the river Jack had showed him to fish for coins. He'd head out every morning after eating, tugging on either Jack or Gabriel's tail to tell them where he was headed before trotting out for the day. On some instances, Gabriel would join him and fish while Jesse hopped around in the water for coins.

Some days Jesse would find three or more coins and find himself leaping around in join for his little hoard. Stuffing them in the pouch Jack had bought for him, he would continue his search for more. Some days, he'd come up empty handed and Gabriel would often laugh at how grumpy he'd looked kicking stones about in the shallow end of the river. He was cute the way he's cross his arms and pout, hair always a mess as he pranced about. On _rare_ days he could suck Gabriel into helping him look for some. Begrudgingly he had helped despite his distaste for Jesse visiting the village at all. He just couldn't say no to that sweet little face and Jesse's now well trained puppy dog eyes. The kid knew how to butter him up, that was for sure.

 

* * *

 

It was midday when Jesse had trotted himself through the main road of the village. As per usual, he waved and smiled at every person he passed, a huge smile spread across his face when they waved back.

He'd come and gone a lot more frequently than Jack and Gabriel ever had and Gabriel had let it slide that Jack often ran errands for the villagers for a little extra coin. Turns out Jack would deliver letters from this village to one two days travel away every once in awhile. It had also been one of the reasons the villagers seemed to like Jack so much, he had always been willing to help.

In Jesse's case, he was just cute as a button.

Trotting into the marketplace, Jesse paused in the center, his eyes lingering momentarily on the booth with all the neat hats. Like every other day he had visited, the hat he wanted sat perfectly placed on a mannequin, untouched and waiting for him.

Opening his little pouch and pulling his coins out, Jesse counted through each of them. Coming up with seven he sighed, not nearly enough. It hadn't upset him though; instead, he stuffed his coins back into his pouch and walked on.

His next stop had been at the baker's booth, his nose already working a mile a minute over the freshly baked breads. Each loaf had been placed in a perfect row along the table; some still steaming as the woman Jesse had grown fond of came out with another tray.

"Jesse!" She smiled at her favorite little centaur as she set her tray down. "I'm so glad you came by today, I have something special for you."

Hooves dancing in place at the prospect of getting a fresh loaf of bread, Jesse's eyes sparkled.

"What is it?" He asked as the woman placed all of the new loaves down on the table. She placed all but one round loaf down and instead showed it to Jesse. "Sweetbread?!" His front little hooves came up off the ground an inch as he clasped his hands together. It had been something he had only recently tried, but he'd become a sucker for it.

"I only made one and you can have it if you want it." She laughed as Jesse nodded his head frantically, already digging into his little pouch for two coins.

"Alright, let me just wrap this up for you so it stays fresh." Taking the coins from Jesse and placing the bread on some wax paper, she began to wrap it up. "You make sure you share this with Jack and Gabriel."

"Yes ma'am, I will." Patiently waiting for his bread, Jesse turned slightly and watched absently as people through the crowded market place. He'd been daydreaming a bit when something caught his eye, something he had never seen before, or in this case, _someone_.

A boy, no older or taller than himself was moving like fluid through the masses of people. Dressed in clothing looking slightly traditional in a sense, he sort of stood out among everybody else.

A waterfall of black hair had splashed across his back and shoulders, making him look rather regal in a sense. His face had matched his overall composed stature when his head turned slightly in Jesse's directions.

Cheekbones high and sharp enough to cut diamonds, the boy's face seemed emotionless as his attention was drawn to the person behind him.

Eyes wandering to the slightly shorter boy following behind, Jesse squinted at his vibrant green hair. He'd walked with his arms up, hands behind his head and his walk carefree as they moved through the marketplace. It was strange, the two seemed to juxtapose one another as they walked, but the taller boy exchanged words with the smaller one. Whatever had been said it had caused the green haired boy to pout.

They paused briefly at a fruit stand, the taller by taking a few of the goods in hand and sniffing them to make sure they were ripe. After a brief conversation with the merchant, he exchanged some coins for the goods.

As the boy turned away from the booth with his fruits, he looked up, and the mass of people before him broke apart leaving enough space for him to get a direct line of sight at Jesse.

Eyes locking, Jesse felt his breath catch in his throat. Staring into those deep eyes for what felt like a century, Jesse hadn't noticed the green haired boy leaning to get a look at him too.

That serious face before him suddenly softened, a small smile suddenly curving the narrow line of the boys mouth. It had been brief, almost as if it hadn't been allowed and then time that had seemed to slow around Jesse suddenly picked back up.

"Jesse!" Jumping in place, Jesse whirled around to face the baker. Dazed, he blinked at her and looked at the perfectly wrapped sweetbread held out to him. "Jesse, are you alright sweetheart?"

"Uh-" Glancing over his shoulder at the fruit stand, Jesse squinted when the space the boys had been standing was empty.  "Y-yeah. Thank you kindly for the sweetbread." Taking the bundle, Jesse held it close to his chest, turning now to face the fruit booth that was still empty. "Hmm." Itching at the back of his neck, Jesse hummed to himself.

 

* * *

 

   "If you keep buying bread you'll never save up for that special thing you wanted." Laughing as Jesse carefully unwrapped his sweetbread, Jack couldn't help himself. He chuckled when Jesse shrugged, not seeming to care because he had a yummy piece of bread resting on his legs.

Jack, Gabriel, and Jesse had congregated atop a small grassy hill, simply enjoying the late evening breeze with their treat. It had become a strange ritual, every three days Jesse would insist they come and sit with him and eat together despite already eating together each morning and night. In hindsight it had been more for them to simply just enjoy each other's company.

"Can't help it," Taking a big bite of bread, Jesse continued with a full mouth, "She makes the best sweetbread around." A little biased considering Jesse had never had any other kind except the bakers, Gabriel and Jack didn't disagree with him. Sure it had been a bummer it took up two coins every time, and Jesse did have a bad habit of spending a lot of what he had on strange human food things, but he could always find more. He has all the time in the world to pilfer around in the river.

Taking another big bite of his bread, Jesse's eyes wandered back over to the village which was not that far off. He watched the soft plumes of smoke rise from the brick chimneys and humans now nothing but little blurry blobs off in the distance move about.

He must have made a noise or sagged in place, because Jack nudges him with his shoulder and smiled at him when he looked up.

"You're quiet tonight, something on your mind?" He'd noticed Jesse's distant look and the way he had bit almost robotically into his bread.

He was quiet for a moment before he licked his lips.

"I saw two humans I had never seen before in the village today." He knew he didn't go there every day but he had gone enough to recognize the regulars. These two boys, they had been out of place and certainly hadn't been from around here. "They were small, like me."

Jack glanced at Gabriel who sat opposite Jesse and shrugged. Seeming unfazed by the news he went back to lightly dozing in place.

"Were they nice?"

"Only saw ‘em." Taking one more bite of his bread, Jesse let his gaze wander again.

All he had thought about was that void black hair and those calm eyes. Something about that boy he just couldn't stop thinking about.

"Maybe you'll see him again." Jack says and smiles when he sees the corners of Jesse's mouth perk up.

"Hmph." Gabriel managed a small grunt before Jack elbowed him over Jesse.

Ignoring the small elbowing match above him, Jesse kept his eyes on the village, his mind wandering. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said Hanzo was gonna be in it and I actually had expected more but the outline AGAIN was a mile long and the longer the outline the longer it takes me to write these chapters. AGAIN an 8000+ word update which is out of my usual range but Jesse's flashback took a lot of time to work through. BUT this means that the next chapter will focus on, you guessed it, hanzo, genji, and Jesse. There are only two major flashbacks, Jesse's and then Jack and Gabriel's so there won't be too much italic to assault your eyes but the flashbacks are long.  
> I know Ive updated this quickly but the winter event is coming and im also graduating in a week so id like to... rest. With that said ill be working on chapter 5's outline and probably picking at the fic but don't expect it in 5 days.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeted: will be eventually (few days maybe after holiday)

The cool summer breeze had coaxed him from his slumber, causing him to shift in the nest and stretch his lanky legs outward. At first he had whined to himself, not yet wanting to get up, but try as he may he couldn't seem to get himself to fall back asleep.

        He'd sat himself up, hair a mess as he yawned and rubbed his little eyes. Blinking them a few times to clear his blurry vision, he squinted at the empty nest. Without Gabriel or Jack inside of it, it was rather roomy and seemed so much larger than before.

        A week ago he would have panicked the moment he processed the nest was empty, but the longer he spent time with Jack and Gabriel, the faster his anxieties seemed to fade. It had helped to know Jack and Gabriel never wandered far. In fact Jesse had gotten pretty good at knowing exactly where they were as the day passed. Jack had always preferred the sunny fields when it came to wandering or sunbathing. Gabriel on the other had had favored the shade, often laying himself by the trunks of thick trees if not by Jack's side. Regardless, they were always within site or calling distance if Jesse ever needed them.

        Standing and stretching his long lanky legs, Jesse's little tail flicked back and forth. He'd stretched his arms over his head, yawning again while walking to the edge of the nest. Lifting his hand to shield his eyes from the bright summer sun, he smiled when he spotted Jack and Gabriel trotting around the golden fields.

        Side by side, the two larger centaurs bumped into one another. Playfully pushing each other back and forth, Gabriel had trotted ahead of Jack a bit, blocking his path and rearing a bit. Jack reared as well, coming back down and kicking out his back legs before he paced circles around Gabriel. He kicked again, his back hooves lightly connecting with Gabriel's side. It had been soft, nothing but a playful tap, and the two continued to bump into one another.

        From Jesses place in the shade, he could hear the two centaurs laughing. Jack had been the loudest; Gabriel's laugh more a soft chuckle as he continued to tease the golden centaur. He'd flick Jack with his tail, causing Jack to grab for it and tug on it until Gabriel's backside kicked up slightly.

        Hopping out from the nest and cantering out into the open field, Jesse dashed towards the two playful centaurs. He'd bucked a few times, unable to help himself as he pranced, giggling up a storm until he was coming in a little too hot.

        Sliding in the grass and bumping into Jack's front, Jesse bounced back a bit. Unscathed, Jesse continued his prancing, running circles around Jack and then Gabriel as they all moved swiftly through the tall grasses. They zipped past one another, jumping and kicking, Jesse running close to Gabriel's side, and then Jacks. Running faster and faster, Jesse's little legs worked hard to keep up with Jack until he tripped and tumbled into the grass.

        Sliding a bit, Jesse rolled onto his back, legs sticking up into the air, slightly bent. He'd flapped his arms in the grass, laughing and puffing out air to get the hair out of his eyes.

        "Graceful." Gabriel stepped close to the fallen colt, arms crossed, but face soft. A small smirk was on his face as Jack joined him at his side. "We didn't think you were ever going to wake up this morning, _niño_." It was true; Jesse did sleep like a rock when he wasn't plagued by nightmares, and ever since he had been more comfortable being left alone, Jack and Gabriel had let him sleep in most days. It wasn't like they had any pressing matters to attend to every day.

        Sitting himself up and shaking the grass from his hair, Jesse smiled wide at Gabriel.

        "I have somethin important to do today!" He'd allowed Jack to pluck a few stray straws of grass from his hair and smooth it from a complete mess to a general mess.

        "Is that so?" Cocking his head to the side, Gabriel rubbed at his beard and gave a side glance to Jack who only shrugged.

        "The river." Jack said softly, it had always been Jesse's usual routine. As they days had passed, Jesse would eat breakfast with them, head to the river to explore for coins, chase some frogs if there had been any, and nap with either Gabriel or Jack in the noon sunlight. If Jack or Gabriel hadn't been in the mood to nap, Jesse would often lie near them like a pancake and soak up the sun himself. Each day had progressed relatively the same with minor chances in pattern depending on how Jesse felt. Some days he would spent all day laying by the river fishing with Gabriel, other days, with Jack exploring all sorts of new territory he had never seen before. Except today, Jesse's usual routine was going to be slightly different.

        "I'm goin to go to the river for a bit." One thing he hadn't planned on changing was his morning coin hunt.

        "Gabe and I will be here if you need us." Jack nodded to Jesse, adoring his wide smile, "don't get into too much trouble and don't bring anymore frogs into the nest." The pout that followed was equally as adorable but Jesse sighed and nodded.

        "I won't." Giving a faint wave to Jack and Gabriel, Jesse trotted his way past them. Heading towards the river, Jesse had grown used to venturing out on his own. Sure, it had taken a few tries, and Gabriel being within earshot of Jesse, but he'd eventually been comfortable enough to wander on his own. The more often he had done it, the better he had felt about it. It had been due to the fact that the village had been on one side of the river and Jack and Gabriel on the other, which meant someone was always within range to help him if he needed it. Luckily, Jesse had managed to win over a decent amount of the village folk and didn't doubt that if he really needed help with something, _someone_ would help him. That in turn had soothed his worry.

        Luckily, life on this side of the mountain had been peaceful and Jesse's days had progressed uninterrupted.

        Spending the first few hours of the early morning splashing about the river, Jesse searches for coins like usual. It had taken him a while to locate one, hidden under a few of the colorful stones making up the riverbed. Having only managed to find one more by late morning, he tried not to be too disappointed about it. Instead, he tucked his treasures into his pouch and hopped from the cool river waters and started his way towards the village.

        The village had been a different place in the morning compared to mid afternoon. It was quiet, the usual bustling market place all but bare aside from the baker who was always up early and the few stray humans Jesse could see tending to their crop fields. In an hour or two the village would wake up, but for the time being, it was relatively vacant.

        Walking towards the market's center, Jesse paused, turning in place and allowing his eyes to scan over the booths one by one. He locked on to every early bird, examining their height and hair before deeming them as not who he was looking for.

        Those two mysterious boys hadn't been there, at least not yet. It was still early and perhaps they were not early birds. He'd been a bit disappointed, wanting nothing more than to see them again and figure them out a little more.

        Sighing, Jesse turned back towards the exit of the village, waving good morning to the baker and taking a quick sniff of the fresh flowers placed outside the florists little booth before leaving. Trotting himself to a different section of the river for coins, he occupied himself there once more until the sun was dead center in the sky.

        Noon time he had returned, standing once again in the now bustling marker center and searching every person that passed by him. He'd absently said hello to those who greeted him, only half paying attention as he searched every person of small stature. Not a single one had vibrant green hair or soft black orbs for eyes.

        Again, his search came up bare. He'd whined inward, disappointed once more before thinking perhaps the boys just didn't need anything in the marketplace today and hadn't returned. Maybe they would come back tomorrow.

        Sagging into himself and taking a deep breath, Jesse begrudgingly leaves the village square for the second time. Heading out into the fields and walking back towards where Jack and Gabriel usually lingered the most, Jesse found Jack first.

        He'd only grunted when Jack asked him what was the matter, and Jack hadn't pushed the matter. Instead he patted Jesse on the head and gave him a tender smile. Together they walked through the golden grasses for a while, simply soaking up the afternoon sunlight before finally the sin started to sink.

        Heading back to the nest, Jesse planted himself between both Jack and Gabriel's bodies like he always did. Tonight, he let his head come to rest against Gabriel's back, his eyes fluttering closed while above him, Jack and Gabriel both spoke softly to one another.

        Uninterested in the centaur's conversation, Jesse allowed his mind to wander about the two boys. He'd taken a deep breath, sighing harshly before cuddling his cheek into Gabriel's soft fur. Above him, Jack and Gabriel's voice faded as he drifted off to an unsatisfied sleep.

        The next day, Jesse had returned to the village in the early hours of the morning, once again coming up bare. He'd visit twice a day, once in the morning and again in the afternoon only for his search to constantly hail the same result again and again for three days. He'd started to lose hope by the end of the second day, feeling his heart sink in his chest at the prospect that the boys had only been passing through the village. He hadn't thought that they were there for only a day before moving onto lands he had never seen. The thought had him kicking himself for not approaching them the first time he had seen them, or at least putting up more of an effort to locate them that same day.

        On the third day, he was on the verge of giving up until a flare of vibrant green hair caught the corner of his vision. It had been hard to see at first when he whirled to the left, his eyes wide and searching the masses frantically until suddenly he zeroed in on those obnoxious green flared tips.

        There, that boy from before, the one who had walked with his arms behind his head and like he had no care in the world was here. His arms were by his sides, though his walk still had some pep to it as he effortlessly weaved in and out of masses of people. He had a strange metal headpiece that covered his forehead, and a long orange scarf that seemed to flap lazily behind himself as he walked.

        Eyes searching frantically all around the boy, Jesse couldn't seem to spot the taller boy who had been with him the other day. He'd stepped slightly closer, attempting to keep himself hidden for the most part while trying to get a better view of the area. He'd squinted in an attempt to get a better look at everybody around the boy, growling to himself when not a single one of them was the tall dark haired boy. It seemed this green haired boy had traveled alone today, but if he was here it was likely that other boy wasn't far.

        Hiding himself behind one of the booths, Jesse peered out and watched the green haired boy progress through the square. He'd stopped at a booth, a huge smile on his pale face as he spoke to the vendor. Too far for Jesse to hear anything, he watched instead as the vendor handed the boy a small bag in exchange for a few coins.

        Turning on his heels, the boy stepped away from the booth a bit and opened his little bag. Digging into it with one hand, he pulled out a lollipop. Stuffing it into his mouth and tucking it into his right cheek, the boy started walking again.

        Trotting in place, Jesse felt his stomach flip and a sudden wave of panic flood over him. He'd been certain after several days of not finding any sign of them they had left. Now, here one was and he had feared that if he let them out of his sight again they might never come back for real this time.

        Jumping out from behind the booth and trotting through the marketplace, Jesse followed the boy. Keeping himself a good distance behind the boy as to not be detected, Jesse would duck behind several people and booths when he feared the boy might turn around and spot him. It hadn't been until Jesse followed the boy to the exit of the village gates that he suddenly felt confused. Outside of the gate was nothing but the few farm fields and the vast golden fields he lived in. What exactly was he doing leaving the village?

        Continuing his peruse despite his curious thought, Jesse followed the boy towards the river.  It had been a section he himself had rarely gone too considering it had been up stream and coins don't wash upstream. Not only that but it had been far left of the village, too far out of Jesse's comfort zone to go alone.

        The boy walked along the gravel path for a good distance before stepping off of it. Heading into the tall grass, Jesse trailed behind him cautiously. Following the boy further upstream until they came to a section of the river surrounded by large boulders.

        Ducking behind one and peeking out to further track the green haired boys movements, Jesse's eyes widened when he suddenly spotted a second body perched atop one of the rocks. He hadn't noticed them right away, at least not until the green haired boy had approached them, leading his eyes to the boy with long flowing black hair. From where Jesse was, he looked rather regal in the summer light, calm, content, and oddly at peace.

        "Hanzo," The smaller boy had held up the little bag towards the boy, "I got the sweets!" Hanzo, apparently, looked down at the boy a moment as if to consider him before taking the small bag. Opening it and digging around in it, he pulled out a round blue candy and inspected it.    

        "You're getting sloppy, Genji." Putting the blue candy back and looking through the bag again, Hanzo pulled out a red one, also looking at it closely.

        Below, Genji tilted his head to the side, confused at Hanzo's remark until the larger boy suddenly looked over his shoulder. His dark orbed eyes suddenly locking with Jesses.

        Startled, Jesse ducked back behind the boulder, face suddenly flaring hot at being caught.

        "You were followed." Looking back down at the bag, Hanzo only sighed. "You don't need to hide anymore." Hanzo's shouted without looking back over his shoulder. "I know you're over there." There was a beat of silence before Jesse's head suddenly and slowly peeked back out from behind his hiding spot. Cheeks beet red from embarrassment, his eyes darted between Hanzo and Genji whose eyes had practically turned into stars.

        "Whoa!" Jumping in place, Genji looked back between Jesse and Hanzo, "It's that... uh... it's-" Rubbing a single finger under his chin, Genji's eyes wandered, unable to find the word to describe the creature before him.

        "Centaur." Hanzo finished for him, voice calm and cool as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.  

        Convinced his heart might pound right out of his chest, Jesse swallowed hard and stepped out from behind the boulder. Averting his gaze, he pulled on his little fingers, clearing his throat and hoping his face wasn't burning too bright a red. He'd paused a few feet from the boys, licking his lips before finally looking up to meet Hanzo's deep stare once more.

        "Why are you following Genji?" Hanzo's tone was questioning, but in no way hostile. More so curious then angry at the fact a creature from the deep woods had taken interest in them and followed them here.

        "I-" Jesse starts, licking his lips and taking a deep breath. "I saw you two in the marketplace the other day and was curious about you. I haven't ever seen you aroun these parts and was just... curious." In truth he had been, there had been something so mysterious about this boy before him that he just had to figure it out. "I don't see many humans the same size as myself. So I just wanted-" The colt shrugged, "to get to know yah is all."

        He'd missed the company of his old herd and all the colts and fillies that were in it. He's missed playing with them and running around in large groups. Jack and Gabriel had both done their best to fill the void but there was only so much they could do. Jack had been worried Jesse would be lonely and had done all he could to make sure he wasn't, but he caught Jesse sulking alone in the fields sometimes. Without other foals Jesse's age to play with and socialize with, it had been hard, and at times, lonely. He hadn't let it bother him too much, but the prospect of having two new humans around who matched his age range and size had excited him.

        Genji stepped away from the boulder Hanzo had been perched on and stepped closer to Jesse. A huge smile had been smeared across his face, the lollipop he had shoved in his mouth not nestled into his opposite cheek.

        Nervous upon Genji getting all but a foot away from him, Jesse watched as Genji placed his hands on his hips. Reaching up, Genji pulled his lollipop from his mouth and shrugged as he spoke.

        "Hanzo and I don't live here. We don't live _anywhere_ near here actually. Our family is here on business." It had been evident from both Hanzo and Genji's heavy accents they were not from this land in particular, but Jesse hadn't found himself struggling to understand them. They spoke clearly, some words with interesting lilts that Jesse thought were interesting. He'd also found it interesting when Genji made a gagging face at the mentions of his family's business.

        "Your herd migrates?" Interested now, Jesse stepped a little closer to Genji, no longer pulling on his fingers but absently holding them in front of his own chest.

        "Uh-" Cocking his head to the side, Genji glanced over his shoulder to Hanzo who gave him a tiny shrug.

        "Something like that." Hanzo had answered for him, the flat line that made up his mouth suddenly curved upward. It had been subtle, perhaps too subtle for anybody to see but Jesse saw it, and it was the same equally curious and kind smile he had seen that first day in the marketplace. It had been brought on when Jesse's mouth suddenly widened into his own smile, pleased at the news.

        Thinking back, Jesse had remembered the story Jack had told him about Gabriel's herd that migrated. Humans hadn't been so different; they came and went just like the centaurs.

        "The family duties are an honor and you should not _gag_ at the mentioning of them." Sliding down from the boulder and brushing himself off, Hanzo moved closer to the two of them now. "Perhaps if you took your duties more seriously, you would see that." Glaring when Genji did nothing but roll his eyes and stuff his pop back in his mouth, Hanzo returned his gaze to Jesse.

        Up close, Hanzo was just as tall as Jesse, perhaps an inch shorter. Jesse hadn't been able to understand what exactly he was wearing but his white shirt with orange decorating the left shoulder. His pants were simple, baggier than he had ever seen, but a stark black color.

        Up close Jesse could confirm his face was indeed rather chiseled, cheeks so sharp they could indeed cut diamond. Strands of long black hair hung over his face, flapping delicately in the wind while the majority of his hair rested over his beck, tired with nothing but a little blue hand practically at the bottom. It made him regal indeed and surrounded him with a serious air, almost intimidating. If not for the soft smiles he seemed to sneak every once in awhile in Jesse's direction, he might have reconsidered the boys.

        "Do you live in the village?" Hanzo asked and watched Jesse look over his shoulder at the village and then back to him while shaking his head. It had been a funny thought though, living in the village. Living in one of those structures rather than sleeping in his soft nest under the beautiful star lit sky. From his perspective, humans were missing out on a beautiful view. Then again, humans didn't seem to fond of getting rained on.

        "Aw, no, I just like to visit every once in awhile. The folks there are really nice! I live in the fields on the other side of the river with... uh... with-" Parents had been on the tip of his tongue but Jack and Gabriel were not his origin. "With my... herd. It's pretty small, just me and two others." Tugging lightly at the bottom of his bandana, Jesse shrugged. "It's nice here."

        "Curious." Face curious, Hanzo glanced out towards the field. Centaurs were common creatures to wander vast lands and people had knowledge of them just by word of mouth rather than vigorous bestiary study. What he knew was that it was strange for centaurs to travel in groups less than ten. He hadn't questioned it, noticing Jesse worrying the bottom of his bandana and instead bowed slightly towards him.

        Confused, Jesse blinked and stared at Hanzo.

        "My name is Hanzo," He speaks without straightening himself, "And this is my brother Genji." Extending his hand in the shorter boy's direction, Genji pulled his pop from his mouth again and smiled wide.

        _Brother_?

        Jesse hand to struggle not to chuckle. Genji had been so different from him. His composure was loud and boisterous. Unlike Hanzo's calm and composed nature, Genji was loud and walked carefree. Not to mention his flaring green hair that _really_ had Jesse questioning if they were actually brothers but they did share _some_ resemblance on their faces. Genji however did have a softer face without having to try. A smile seemed permanent across his lips and his clothing seemed a little more carefree than Hanzo's traditional wear. They juxtaposed each other both visually and as far as Jesse could tell in personality too.

        "I'm Jesse!" Tapping his little hooves in delight, Jesse watched as Hanzo stood himself back up straight. To his side, Genji had bowed slightly as well. "If you don't mind me askin, are you fellas planning on staying in the village?" Interested to know where they had vanished to for several days, Jesse had wondered if they were like traveling merchants.

        "No," Hanzo shook his head, "Our clan is here for a few more days on business before we head back to our own homeland. I am going to guess out father will be leaving after the midsummer's festival this weekend." Turning to look at Genji, the smaller boy shrugged. It didn't seem to matter to him regardless when they left.

        "Midsummer festival?" Now it was his turn to cock his head to one side. "What is that?"

        "It's something the villages around these lands do in the middle of the summer to celebrate the warm weather and crop harvest." Hanzo had answered, but Genji leaned in from behind him and continued on the point.

        "It's just a night that there is lots of food and partying. There will be games, music, dancing, and _fireworks_." despite Genji emphasizing the last word, Jesse was unfamiliar with such things as fireworks. "Have you ever seen them before?" Pouting when Jesse shook his head, Genji only shrugged. "Well, you're in luck because they go off this weekend. You'll be able to see them and all the cool colors and shapes they turn into."

        "I've never lived this close to humans before so I'm learning all sorts of new things lately."

        "They are very loud, since you're unfamiliar." Hanzo had warned, and Jesse nodded to him. He had wondered if Jack and Gabriel had been around long enough to see one of these festivals. As far as he knew they had been here a few years, so it seemed likely.

        "Jesse," The colt looked to Genji who had his arms up and his hands clasped behind his head like the first day he had seen him, "what do you do for fun around here? It's boring around here when out father leaves us to ourselves. Not that the business stuff is any better but-" Shrugging, Genji only sighed.

        "Oh!" Jumping in place and turning towards the river, Jesse pointed at it. "Fishin around here is really good! You can catch all sorts of things after a good rainfall! Frogs too if you're quick enough!" Reaching down to his pouch and flipping it open, Jesse pulled out a few coins to show the brothers. "I like lookin around the waters for these. I can trade them in the village for all sorts of things. I'm tryin to get a hat I really like but I don't have enough yet." Poking at the coins before putting them back in his pouch, Jesse sighed contently. "The baker has some mighty fine sweetbread if you can catch her makin them every few days. Oh - and catching fireflies at night is also my favorite thing! There are so many of them in the fields, you can make lanterns out of them if you get enough in some jars." Running his hand hair, Jesse looked between the boys. "What about you? What do you two do?"

        "Genji and I do not do much outside of your training." Something the clan had required for the young master, something he had done a lot more vigorously than Genji at times. "I favor archery while Genji prefers the sword." They answered seemed to have satisfied Jesse as his own eyes seemed to light up. Hanzo couldn't help but wonder if Jesse even knew what archery was. It hadn't seemed to matter; he was an excitable creature regardless. "Genji," Hanzo suddenly said, looking over his shoulder at his brother, "we should return to the village before we are missed. We've been absent from our fathers side for longer than we should be." Ignoring Genji's obnoxiously loud whine, Hanzo just stared at him from over his shoulder.

        "Alright, alright-" Putting up little fuss, Genji turned to Jesse, once again removing the pop from his mouth. "I hope I get to see you again, Jesse.  You should come back here while we're still here and hang out with us when we're not doing-" he scoffed "our _duties_." Jerking back to avoid Hanzo's elbow, Genji laughed and skipped past the colt, hand flailing as he waved to him.

        A soft growl bubbled up from Hanzo's through as he watched Genji vanish over a grassy hill. Once out of sight, he turned his gaze to Jesse.

        The two of them stood there in silence for a long moment, the wind picking up and rustling the grass all around them and blowing the thick black strands of Hanzo's hair over his eyes.

        Bowing once more, Hanzo rose quicker this time.

        "It was nice meeting you, Jesse." Extending a fisted hand, Hanzo waited a beat patiently for Jesse to jump and suddenly hold out his own hand. A hard candy Hanzo had been rummaging around for earlier in the bag dropped down into Jesse's open palm. It was blue and rather glossy, wrapped in a small pouch of plastic.

        Moving past Jesse, Hanzo glanced back over his shoulder to see Jesse watching him go, hands close to his chest and clenching the small treat. His little tail was wagging and his face bright as he watched him go. Unable to help himself, Hanzo flashed the colt a tender smile before finally vanishing over the grassy hills as well.

        Staring at the swaying grass for what felt like an eternity, Jesse lowered his hands and took another look at his treat. He smiled, and then laughed before jumping in place, his legs kicking out in excitement in all different direction.

 

* * *

 

The sound of little hooves thundering across the land had Jack looking up from where he had dozing. Spotting Jesse galloping over a hill and through the tall grass, the colt was bursting into the nest in a matter of seconds. Tripping head over hoof, Jesse rolled, sliding into Jack's side and sending bits of grass all over the place. He was laughing as he rolled himself into a sitting position, face vibrant as he looked up at Jack.

        "What's got you so excited?" Picking a few stray bits of grass from Jesse's hair, Jack watched as the colt tucked his legs snuggly under him and settled himself. Lifting his cupped hands towards Jack, the larger centaur watched him open them to reveal the little candy on the inside.

        Looking from the candy to Jesse's face, Jack noticed he was practically glowing. His smile took up nearly his entire face, and his cheeks were pink with delight. He cupped his hands around the treat one more time and bought it to his chest in a pleased gesture before finally opening it and popping it into his mouth.

        The taste was sweet, far sweeter than anything he had ever had before and his little tail wagged back and forth from it. He hummed, shivering and slumped himself against Jack, content with all things.

        "Remember those boys I said I saw in the village awhile ago?" Switching the candy from his right cheek to his left, Jesse looked up to see Jack nodding at him. "I saw them again. I got to talk to them this time! They are migrating through the village so they won't be here for much longer." Tilting his head to the side, a bit of the glow in Jesse's face seemed to flicker at that. "Their names are Hanzo and Genji." He laughed at the thought of trying to explain Genji's wild hair to Jack.

        "Are they nice?" Jack asked, listening to Jesse crunch down the candy now.

        "Oh yeah," Resting his head on Jack's back, Jesse sighed. "Really nice. I can't wait see them again." Mind wandering, Jesse took in a deep breath and let out a longer sigh. He only had a few days left to really get to know them and play with them before they moved on. As Genji had said, they were only here for a short while. He'd have to make the most of it while he could.

        With any luck, perhaps the boys would become like Angela, returning every once in awhile to visit. Perhaps one day Jesse might even choose to migrate away from the fields. Time would tell, but for now he would be patient.

 

* * *

 

"Slow down-" Gabriel had snapped at Jesse as the colt stuffed one fruit after another into his gob. "You're going to choke yourself." He'd watched Jesse struggle to swallow down each big bite and on occasion would withhold the next fruit from him.

        He couldn't help it; he had been far too excited to see Hanzo and Genji again. Practically popping up from the place he had been sleeping, he had gone 0 to 60 at breakfast. He'd eaten his fill and stood up, shaking himself free of stray grasses before bursting into the tall grasses. He dashed up and over the hill towards the river and just like that he was gone.

        "He didn't even wave." Arms crossed, Gabriel watched the golden grasses sway delicately back and forth in the wind. "What's gotten into him?" Huffing and giving a side glance at Jack, Gabriel raised an eyebrow at his mate's genuine smile. "What?"

        "You jealous?" Jack teased, leaning into Gabriel and nosing his cheek.

        " _Tsk_ ," Gabriel snorted while whipping his tail behind himself. "Of the runt not drooling on me anymore? Or kicking the shit out of me when he sleeps? I don't think so." That hadn't stopped the pout from forming on Gabriel's face. Only when Jack planted a soft kiss on his cheekbone did he finally sigh and sink back into himself.

        "They grow up fast, don't they?" Jack managed a small chuckle and to his delight Gabriel also let out a small laugh.

        Gabriel would never have admitted it, but he had worried deeply about Jesse. He'd worried the nights Jesse woke screaming and worried about every tear he had brushed away. Now, not so much. Jesse smiled, laughed, and was happy, and that was all he could hope for

        Across the fields, far from the nest, Jesse had galloped his way to the river. Having run past his usual fishing and coin locations, he rushed towards the rocky area both Genji and Hanzo had resided.

        He'd been only slightly disappointed they were not there. He'd huffed to himself but had remembered Genji's comments about his families work. Assuming that had been the case, Jesse had left only to return later that afternoon. He's been delighted to see the familiar form of Hanzo sitting by the water's edge.

        Upon approaching, Jesse noticed Hanzo's feet had been in the water and his back had been to him. It had been a mystery to him how he knew he was coming, but Hanzo glanced over his shoulder the moment Jesse was no more than ten feet away from him.

        "May I join you?" Pleased when Hanzo nodded, Jesse walked over and laid himself down a few inches from Hanzo's side. Tucking his legs snuggly under himself, Jesse suddenly looked around in confusion. "Where is Genji?"

        "Genji is preoccupied with our father today." There was a small smile that curved Hanzo's lips. It had pleased him in the morning when his father had selected Genji for the morning work rather than him. It had pleased him deeply when Genji had complained about it, finally leaving Hanzo with an afternoon to himself for once. "It's unlikely you will see him today." Bringing something up to his mouth that Jesse hadn't noticed before, Hanzo licked something bright blue.

        "What's that?" It certainly hadn't looked like the round treat he had gifted him the day before. In fact it somewhat like the thing Genji had in his mouth before but significantly different. For one, Hanzo seemed to lick it with haste when it melted down his fingers.

        "It's a popsicle." He'd smiled when Jesse's head cocked to the side, his expression cute and curious. "Have you never had one of these before?" The better thing to ask was if Jesse had even seen them at all, and in this case, he hadn't.

        Jesse had shaken his head and suddenly perked up when the Popsicle had been extended to him. He looked at the glossy blue treat and then up at Hanzo who nodded to him that it was alright.

        Taking the little wooden stick from Hanzo, Jesse held the treat in hand for a few more seconds. Unsure of what to do, he felt a little panicked when the treat started to melt down his own fingers. Leaning in like he had seen Hanzo do, he gave it a quick lick and instantly his eyes seemed to light up.

        "Whoa~" Giving it a quick second lick, Jesse looked at Hanzo who was smiling at him. Several long black strands of his hair drifted with the wind in front of his face and quickly he brushed them back. "This is... this is really good." Handing the treat back to Hanzo, Jesse watched him give it a lick. "It's so cold though." It had reminded him of the few winters he had been around for. The snow had been similar, cold, and yet flavorless, not tasty to go back to.

        "It seemed appropriate for such a hot day." There had been a light sheen of sweat over Hanzo's face, making him look rather glossy. Every few minutes he would adjust his hair, pulling a few strands from sticking to his damp cheeks.

        "It is rather hot today, isn't it?" Jesse spoke softly, his gaze wandering over the river and golden fields. He supposed he had gotten used to the sun beating down on him, though staying in direct sunlight for too long did warm his brown fur a little too much and he would find himself panting and thirsty. It was one of the main reason Gabriel had always favored napping in the shade unlike Jack who liked the sun. "I like to swim on days like these." Abruptly standing up and throwing himself into the river, Jesse submerged himself up to his waist and waded around.

        Swimming from one end of the river and back, Jesse extended his hands to Hanzo, gesturing him to come in. After a few seconds of Hanzo not budging, Jesse dropped his arms in the water and pouted. He'd noted that the smile that had been on Hanzo's face had vanished.

        "It's not cold, if that's what you're worried about." He offered his hand again, but Hanzo just shook his head at him. "What's wrong?" Swimming to the edge of the river, Jesse tossed his arms up and let his chin rest on his wet arms.

        "It would be inappropriate for me to do such childish things." He continued before Jesse's displeased expression could form. "Due to my family being here on business, I am to look professional at all times. Doing such things in the open... would not be professional. My family's advisors are always watching, and if they were to catch me... my father would be displeased." When it came down to it, Genji was the only one who could get away with such things, and that was because he wasn't the oldest. "As a protégée, I must be seen as controlled." It had made some sort of sense to Jesse, at least how Hanzo's every words came out collected. How his posture was always straight and how his face displayed little emotion at all.

        Frowning, Jesse tapped at the bottom of his chin. What sort of life was that like? Never being able to have fun for the fear someone might see a child acting like _a child_.

        "What if," Jesse started as he gripped the grass and pulled himself from the river's waters "what if nobody could see you?"

        "I do not understand what you mean." Glancing over his shoulder, Hanzo could see the village off in the distance and the few specks of people still wandering about. It seemed a little unrealistic that they would be unseen in such a wide open area.

        Extending his hand to Hanzo, Jesse gave a mischievous smirk to the boy. He wiggled his fingers and did something weird with his eyebrows that Hanzo couldn't help but chuckle at

        "Do you trust me?" Jesse had asked and a brief moment of silence had passed between them. Looking between Jesse's face and his hand, Hanzo sighed.

        Reaching up slowly, he placed his hand into Jesse's.

 

* * *

 

He'd lead Hanzo along the river until the forest line was in view. Only when they drew near to it did Hanzo hesitate and pull away from Jesse's grasp. He'd looked at it, then at Jesse who turned to face him, expression still as bright as ever.

        Glancing over his shoulder, Hanzo could just barely see the village in the distance. Anybody who might have looked in their direction probably wouldn't even have been able to see them at all against the tree line. If anybody could see them it was unlikely they saw anything but two faint dots.

        "It's okay." Jesse extended his hand again, gesturing for Hanzo to continue to follow him and after a moment's thought, he did. Walking close to Jesse's side, Hanzo followed him past the tree line. They walked for only five minutes, still following the river that snaked into the forest until finally they came into a clearing.

        Eyes widening, Hanzo paused, jaw threatening to drop at the beautiful sight before him. The waterfall had been the first thing he had seen, glistening in the bit of sunlight that broke through the trees above. Butterflies flapped about lazily, landing on the masses of flowers surrounding the falls and area around them. Protecting them from prying eyes were the thickly fruited apple trees, vibrant with ripe and lush fruits ready for the picking.

        "The trees will protect you from sight." Jesse's voice had broken him out of his slight trance and once again Hanzo turned to try and spot the village behind them. Met with nothing but dense forest, Hanzo blinked in surprise. It hadn't felt like they had walked long enough to be this deep, and yet he felt miles in. "Now you can do whatever you want!" Grabbing Hanzo's hands and tugging him towards the water, Jesse released him a few feet from the water's edge and instead threw himself in.

        Surfacing a few seconds later, Jesse swam to the edge of the grass and motioned for Hanzo to follow suit.

        "Come on! It's even warm!"

        Walking to the edge of the water and giving it a good look, Hanzo hummed as he watched Jesse's long lanky legs kick underwater. It must have been pretty deep for Jesse's hooves not to touch the bottom unlike the rest of the river which seemed to shallow out the farther it curved into the fields.

        Glancing over his shoulder one more time to make sure nobody was watching them, Hanzo licked his lips nervously. He had been sure nobody had followed them, and yet, he was still paranoid someone might see him through all these trees.

        "I am unsure." Watching Jesse pull his upper half onto the grass and perch his chin in his hands, Hanzo tried to sigh. It had been interrupted the moment the centaur colt snagged his wrists and leaned back, dragging him into the water face first.

        Any attempt to try and lean back and balance himself had been useless. All he could do was yelp before behind submerged in the cool water. He'd felt Jesse release his wrists right away, and he kicked off the bottom of the riverbed. Resurfacing, Hanzo's clothing and hair clinging to him as he cursed in a language Jesse had never heard before.

        "How unsophisticated!" Wadding into a shallower end of the riverbed, Hanzo grabbed bitterly at the bottom of his shirt and tried to wring it out. It had been useless, he was drenched and the little band that had held what little of his hair together had come loose, rendering those long black tendrils of hair to spider across the water's surface.

        "Haha! Doesn't it feel nice though?" Giggling up a storm as Hanzo removed his quiver and bow, tossing them up onto the grass, Jesse wadded closer to him. "Are you ma-" A wave of water splashed against Jesse's face and he floundered, coughing as he tried to shield himself as Hanzo slapped his hand against the water's surface again. "I'm sorry! Sorr-" He laughed harder as another wave splashed against him, Hanzo not letting up one bit.

        There had been irritation written all over Hanzo's face, but the moment Jesse had retaliated with his own wave of water, the look faltered. Splashing each other back and forth, Hanzo's frown curved upward and it was a matter of seconds before he was laughing just as hard as Jesse.

        They splashed each other, climbing in and out of the water to jump in and cause larger waves to soak one another for what felt like hours. It hadn't mattered that they were loud or childish, all the mattered was getting the last splash in before finally they had called a truce. Each of them soaked to the bone, they wadded around in the water together.

        Clinging to Jesse's back, Hanzo allowed the smaller centaur to drag him around in the water, simply enjoying the company and the ride.

        "So," Hanzo had said, as Jesse continued to tug him around in the water, "what does your kind do during the colder seasons?"      

        "What do you mean?" Jesse had asked, his legs kicking smoothly under the surface.

        "How do you stay warm?"

        "Oh!" Jesse had laughed, "Our coats get thicker."

        "Yes, but what about-" Hanzo had gestured to his own top half.

        "Our coats-"

        "Perhaps some things are better left a mystery." Releasing Jesse as the colt swam close to the water's edge, Hanzo climbed up and out onto the soft grasses. He'd tugged off his shirt and wrung it out while Jesse climbed out from the water next. "Hey-" Hanzo managed a small laugh when Jesse shook his fur out next to him, getting him wet all over again.

        "Sorry." Turning his attention from Hanzo to one of the large apple trees, Jesse trotted towards one. Getting close to the tree's trunk, he stood up on his hind legs and reached up towards the branches. His little hands grasped at the air, an apple just slightly out of reach. He grunted, practically tap dancing on his hind hooves as he jumped. His fingertips grazed the fruit, but it didn't budge from its branch.

        "Allow me." Dropping back down onto all fours, Jesse had turned around in time to see Hanzo wielding his bow. String drawn back and muscles straining, he released the arrow faster than Jesse could even react to it all. It whistled past him in nothing but a blue streak of light. A lot and wet smacking had sounded immediately after, and the apple he had reached for fell, knocking him on the head before bouncing to the ground.

        "You're mighty good at that." Rubbing the top of his head a moment before bending down and retrieving the apple, Jesse pulled the arrow free. Examining the arrow he head Jesse rotated it, a bit fascinated before handing it back over to Hanzo.

        "I've had a lot of practice." Placing the arrow back in his quiver and settling himself down against the tree's trunk, Hanzo watched as Jesse joined him. Sitting side by side, Jesse dug his thumbs into the hole the arrow had created and split the apple into two jagged slices. Handing one to Hanzo, he bit into his own half, his little tail wagging.

        They sat in a comfortable silence for awhile, nothing but the soft crunches from their apples and the soft hum of evening bugs around them listen to. The sun had set a bit, the air finally cooling down but the few rays of sunlight peeking through the trees feeling wonderful against their chilled skin.

        "It's peaceful here." Hanzo had broken the silence, his eyes staying locked on the waterfall across the grass. The mist around the falls had caught the light just right, causing the water to sparkle and glisten.

        As Jesse had said, it had been away from prying eyes, and for once in a long time, Hanzo felt like he could let his shoulders relax. He hadn't felt guilty for acting childish or splashing Jesse back. He hadn't been scolded for it, and a part of him felt lighter sitting here by this creature's side. He couldn't help but envy the creatures freedom.

        "Yeah, it is." Jesse replied softly as he watched Hanzo brush some stray hairs behind his ear. "I like to come here when I want to be alone." Which wasn't often, but sometimes Jesse did like to have a few moments of peace. Often Gabriel would find him lying by the water and join him. As if he knew Jesse wasn't in the mood to talk, he would just sit there with him, and in itself it had been nice. "A lot of the land here is peaceful. The villagers are nice and there are lots of snacks here if you come on a windy day. I'm happy here." Truly, he was. "Are you happy?" The question had Hanzo looking off to the side, a very small but sad smile on his face.

        "It is an honor to upload the duties of my clan, and I wish to do so but-" He shrugged, brushing more of his hair behind his shoulders before continuing, "some days it can be trying." The days he wanted to get angry and scream, but couldn't. Or the days when he was younger and he cried how he was scolded that young masters are not show such weak emotion if they were to take over the family duties. It had been stressful at times, irritatingly so when Genji was lucky enough to not have to share the burden.

        Leaning slightly to his right, Hanzo pressed his shoulder against Jesse's and slumped in place. He looked tired, and he allowed his eyes to sag a bit.

        "Thank you for bringing me here."

        "It's no problem. We can come and play here anytime you wanna." In fact, he was already looking forward to the next time they would get to play, but it made his heart ache. Hanzo wasn't a permanent fixture here like Jack or Gabriel. Soon, he would be gone, and Jesse would once again be sitting by the tree trunk alone.

        Taking a deep breath and sighing, Hanzo slumped a bit and allowed his eyes to flutter closed. Doing the same, Jesse leaned in against Hanzo, a delighted smile crossing his face as his own eyes started to feel heavy. Who knew splashing about so much could tucker him out this much.

        Together, they dozed in the soft afternoon light.

 

* * *

 

It had been late in the evening when Jesse had awoken first. He'd rubbed at his tired eyes, yawning and blinking up at the orange and pink stained sky. It had to have been sometime a little past dusk, and soon nightfall would be upon them.

        Glancing to his side, Hanzo was still leaned against his shoulder. Still asleep, a few thick strands of his jet black hair had fallen in front of his face. It was strange, but he looked at ease and peaceful. It had Jesse wishing he didn't need to wake him but for the sake of Hanzo, he gave the human a gentle shake.

        "Hanzo," Jesse says with a heavy tone, still rousing himself from his nap. "It's getting late." Shaking a bit harder, Jesse paused when Hanzo's eyes fluttered open. Those deep black orbs now clear brown irises blinked into focus. "We should get back."

        "You're right." Sitting himself up and stretching, Hanzo rubbed at his back and stood. Stretching, he picked his quiver and bow up off the ground and slung them over his shoulder. "Genji is probably curious as to where I had gone off too." Smirking at the thought of Genji being jealous, Hanzo waited patiently for Jesse to stand and stretch as well.

        Together they walked side by side back through the forest and fields, now a soft pastel glow in the low summer light. Reaching the main gate of the village just before sundown, Hanzo had bowed to Jesse like the prior day.

        "Thank you for today, Jesse." Straightening himself back up, Hanzo watched as Jesse nodded to him.

        "Will I see you again tomorrow?"

        "I will most likely have business to attend to with my father and Genji, but I am sure at some point we will be around." The river had turned out to be a decent meeting point and it hadn't been like Jesse was miles away if he called to him in the fields. "Until then." Giving a small wave, Hanzo turned and wandered into the village, leaving Jesse to wave to him until he was out of sight.

        Turning, Jesse started to head back to the nest, still utterly exhausted from the day's events. He'd been pleased to see Jack and Gabriel already there, lying side by side like usual.

        "There you are," Jack had said as Jesse stepped into the nest and flopped down almost instantly. His legs felt heavy from swimming, and it had felt nice to lie down again, "we were wondering when you would come back. Did you have a good day? You look like you're glowing." The colt before them seemed to radiate, content with life.

        Squishing himself between Jack and Gabriel's masses, Jesse spread a sloppy smile across his face and nodded.

        "I had a really good day." Letting his head fall on Gabriel's back tonight, he reached up and started to trace his little fingers through Gabriel's fur. "I went to the river and Hanzo was there and we went swimming by the falls." Fingers tracing over a missing line of fur, Jesse lingered over a scar. Tracing it from tip to tip, Gabriel shifted slightly. "He has a bow and is a really good shot. Like _really good_. You should have seen it, it was-" Jesse yawned, eyes heavy.

        "Oh yeah?" Jack whispered, leaning down and running his fingers through Jesse's knotted curls. "Sounds like a good day."

        "Yeah... really... good." Tracing over another scar, Jesse allowed his eyes to flutter closed. In a matter of seconds he was out like a light, breathing soft puffs of air against Gabriel's back while Jack continued to pet his head.

        Eyes bright, Jack hummed softly and looked up at Gabriel. His face was set like usual, but when Jack gave him a tender smile he couldn't help but return it.

        He hadn't seen Jack this happy in a long time. Moving from one side of the mountain to this side had been stressful, and it had gouged both of them in ways they were still healing, but the process seemed to quicken when Jesse had arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're ready for some jack/gabe ANGST in the next chapter.  
> Comments also add years to my life because this was 9k


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a 17k+ Chapter update and the last one because I couldnt figure out where to break it for two chapters so I just did it all at once. And I managed to do this in three days and its not edited but will be eventually so take things with a grain of salt because im tired and You get 17k+

_"They can't keep pushing us out like this-" Gabriel had to pick up his pace to stay close to Jack's side. He'd spoken through clenched teeth, trying not to let the bitterness of his words be heard by their herd following closely behind them._

_They had traveled several miles through the thickly wooded forest in close clumps. Both Jack and Gabriel had brought up the front, leading their people away from their home._

_"Even the_ werewolves _left... the_ werewolves, _Jack." Gabriel had pressed on, once again picking up his walking pace as Jack tried to move ahead of him. He could see his mate's jaw tighten, frustration silently working up his figure. "We can't keep letting them push us out of our homes." At the rate they were going, soon that would have nowhere left to go._

_For months, the poachers had pushed them further and further through the region until they had nowhere left to go but into the thick forests. The forest in which the werewolves, nagas, and harpies had claimed most of the territory, but much like the centaurs their population had dwindled since the poacher's arrival._

_It hadn't been bad, at least not at first. Groups of humans had been known to wander the fields to hunt, no more than two of three of them at a time. Like any other creatures, they would take a kill, no more than one or two at a time and vanish for months at a time. Much like how the werewolves would take no more than one or two herd members a month. It was just the way the world was. They had been hungry and they needed to eat, so they hunted. At the time, nature was balanced the way it should be._

_Werewolves never took more than they needed, nor did the harpies, or the nagas, and in return the centaurs had also respected the flow of nature. It hadn't been until the humans started to return in larger numbers that the balances became corrupted. Instead of taking one of two of the creatures that lived in the wild, they took everything they could find._ Everything.

_Years had passed and the demand for mythical creatures pelts and horns had skyrocketed to the point that species were hunted to near extinction. Sirens, a rare breed were scarce these days, residing in the deep oceans or so far into the twisting forests that no human could get to them in their deep lakes._

_Human pairs became groups, and groups that used to spare female and children creatures became cruel and greedy. Taking everything and anything they could, it hadn't mattered about age or rank, just the price of their fur._

_As far as Jack knew, his herd had been the only one left still staying on this side of the mountain. Word had gotten around that all other herds had either migrated completely out of the region or had been slaughtered to nothing._

_When it came to Jack's herd, they had been cut down a quarter of their size in the last six months, leaving moral dangerously low. With little they could do against the humans, all they could do was pack up and move, and they did._

_Their destination had been an old mountain pass several days travel through the forests. Hidden behind a specific cluster of trees, Jack had hoped the trek would be too cumbersome for the humans to want to follow. The forests were dangerous, even to their own kind, and any human who dared wander in alone was unlikely to wander back out. With a little luck, they would be home free once they made it through the pass._

_"There is nothing else we can do," Jack spoke without looking at Gabriel, "we just have to keep moving." He'd said it a dozen times, maybe more, but it had never satisfied Gabriel. He'd ignored his bitter huffs and the harsh stomp his back hoof made across the ground every time, pressing on._

_Irritated by the answer, Gabriel lurched forward and blocked Jack's path, fury written all over his face. His face scrunched, his teeth bared at his mate in warning._

_"We fight." Watching as Jack shook his head the golden centaur tried to pass Gabriel, only to be blocked once again. No matter which way Jack tried to step, Gabriel moved in front of him, his golden grown eyes burning holes through Jack. All around them the herd moved passed, ignoring their little spat to trudge onward._

_"You know we can't do that." This hadn't been a territory war against a rivaling herd; it had been something completely different. There was no negotiations, no ground rules, just disaster in their wake of they didn't continue to move. "We can't risk enraging them." Attacking them or retaliating in anyway would anger them, and angering them would only make things worse. They had to have been at least thankful that the humans left at all after each hunt rather than just wiping them out completely. They didn't have much left, and Jack hadn't been keen on putting the last of it at risk._

_Before they had been pushed into the forests, Gabriel had suggested they fight back. Physically, centaurs were larger than humans, stronger, and significantly faster as well. It seemed like a no brainer that they could take out the threat easily, but the humans had tools they could only ever dream of. Weapons that could reach them before the centaurs had a chance to even use their brute strength, and weapons that could hit them faster than they could. It had been worse out in the open, and so they moved on, the forest offering them the best protection._

_"It's better than just letting them slaughter us." There was venom on the end of each word, his voice rising. Only when jack turned his head away and frowned, did he settle._

_"You know it's a slaughter either way." With their herd number so low, they were outnumbered. Each new death had weighed heavy on Jack's shoulder, each death a reminder that he is failing to protect his herd._

_Jack's face and body had paled, significantly more than usual. Bags had collected under his eyes, weighing heavily on his beautiful face. His hair had been tussled, and his fur not as preened as it often, rendering him to look worn down. He hadn't slept in days, spending the majority of his time guiding his herd to a better place and watching over them when they stopped for the night. It had been exhausting work, settling the panic, organizing the fearful, and promising a better life if they just kept moving. Trust and Jack had been worth thin._

_Letting out a soft sigh, Gabriel leaned forward and slid his arms around Jack's waist. Tugging him close, he gave Jack's cheek a tender nuzzle and hugged him gently._

_Jack, allowing himself to be drawn near, let his chin come to a rest against Gabriel's shoulder. Accepting all the affection offered, he slid his own arms around Gabriel's torso. Running his hands up the back of Gabriel's toned shoulder blades, he tugged him close, hiding his face in his mates neck._

_It had been no secret to Gabriel how terrified Jack had been. By the way he clung to him, fingers digging into his back pulling him as close to himself as possible as if it was the last time he would get the chance to hold him. He'd slept pressed against Gabriel's side every time they stopped for the night, fingers knotted in each other's fur, afraid to let go for even a moment. It was terrifying to wonder when their last night sleeping side by side would be, so they made every moment count, every kiss and cuddle last for as long as possible._

_"I know you're doing your best," Sliding his fingers up the back of Jack's neck and through his hairs, Gabriel kissed his cheekbone, "we'll keep them safe, keep them moving, I promise_ mi sol _.” Whispering sweet nothings into Jack's ear, Gabriel felt him relax in his hold. He'd sighed again, felt Jack's hot breath spill over his neck and felt him nod at his words. "The sooner we get to the pass, the better. We'll move the herd another three mile and then stop to rest." Despite their kind being accustomed to long periods of travel, even they wore out after days of nonstop travel. Not only that, but food had become scarce, water difficult to find, and the herd as a whole was weakening. They had to stop, even if it was for a little while._

_"The pass isn't much farther, maybe eight miles more. We could reach it by nightfall if we kept going." Pulling away from Gabriel's neck, Jack watched as his mate shook his head._

_"They need rest Jack,_ you _need rest. Just for a little while, at least two hours and then we can continue. We should be able to make it there by nightfall even if we stop." If they were really lucky they could make it through the pass and to the other side by early morning. From there they would consider blocking the path completely. In truth Jack had hoped the humans would be deterred from following due to the terrain being extreme. The pass wasn't a perfect path, but rocky and had a considerable amount of climbing to do. If they were lucky, the humans wouldn't follow and they could leave the path open, but did they really want to risk it?_

_With one final cuddle, they release each other and step back, Jack half turning to watch as herd members still trudge past them in small groups._

_"I'll head to the back, make sure everybody is here and nobody fell behind." With a nod of confirmation, Gabriel turns, his body suddenly starting to dissipate into smoke. It swirls in place until his entire form is gone, and the smoke zips towards the back of the herd._

_Jack, rubbing at the back of his neck, turns and heads for the front of the herd once more. Doing as Gabriel had suggested, he lead them for another three miles before finally signaling his herd for a pause in a small clearing._

_No fired had been made, Jack too afraid the light might catch unwanted attention from any remaining creatures in the forest or any humans that might happen to be skulking about. It was better to lay in groups of three or four for warmth instead, and nobody had complained._

_Woman and children had slept in the center of the forest clearing, the male centaurs encircling them for protection, keeping them safe behind themselves. Months ago it would have been a perfect defense, but with dwindling numbers now, gaps were left in the walls shielding them._

_Gabriel, having selected several young and strong centaurs had them working on shifts each hour to scout the area for any danger that might be approaching. Three would wander a one mile radius each hour before returning to change shifts with another._

_Being the last two to finally lay down, Jack and Gabriel had wedged themselves side by side like they had every night. Shoulder against shoulder, Gabriel reached around Jack's waist and tugged him closer._

_"Lay against me." Voice soft, Gabriel's hand slid up Jack's back to press into the back of his neck. Coaxing Jack to rest his head against his shoulder, jack did so without resistance. Instead, he allowed his eyes to flutter to half mass, enjoying the sensation of Gabriel's finger tips combing through the hair on the back of his head. It had almost been enough to lull him to sleep, but every moment was precious these days, and he struggled to stay away just to hear Gabriel breath._ _"Close your eyes." Gabriel rocked slightly as he let his chin come to rest on top of Jack's head. "I'll keep watch."_

_Reaching out and grabbing Gabriel's free hand, Jack lanced their fingers together and gave a faint squeeze. Pulling the tanned hand up to his lips, he kisses each of Gabriel's knuckles before finally allowing his eyes to close._

_"That's it,_ mi sol _, I've got you." Gabriel's voice is so soft by his ear, and for a moment Jack feels like everything just might be alright. They would get their rest, and when he woke up they would keep moving and make it to their new home. They would be safe, and they would be together._

 

_~~~~~~~~~_

 

_"They're coming!" A voice screamed from the distance, "They're coming! They're coming!" The view drew near along with hooves that thundered across the ground._

_One of Gabriel's scouts came bursting from the brush, legs fumbling over one another until the creature crashed to the ground. It flailed in a mess of limbs, still screaming as it kept one hand clamped around its left upper arm. Blood had soaked it, and even more blood still oozed out from between the boys fingers. He'd thrashed himself onto his feet, crumbling back down to his knees as his body refused to support his weight._

_Jack, who had only managed to get an hour of sleep in, jerked awake. He looked around, eyes hazy until he saw herd members around him standing, pacing, panic rising among them as the young scout continued to howl._

_In a flash, Jack and Gabriel had both stood, rushing over to the struggling centaur and shushing him._

_"What happened?" Gabriel had asked as Jack grabbed the creature's good arm, helping him stand on lefts like jelly. "Report!" The boys cheeks were tear stained, his breathing ragged as he no doubt galloped his way back here without slowing. He was shaking like a leaf, and he tried to speak, his works jumbled and a mess as Jack tried to pry his hand away from his wound._

_"What did you see?" Jack's voice was soft, kinder as he pried one finger after another away from the boy's wound. He'd tried not to wince but couldn't help himself when the blotchy pullet hole came into view. It had left a near perfect circle through the boy's arm, and had bled profusely since impact._

_Reaching down to his little cloth satchel, Jack pulled out a scrap of cloth and began wrapping it around the scouts wound. He pulled it tight, shushing the creature when it yelped in pain._

_"I... I had been scouting out a mile, just like you had asked," Baring his teeth when Jack tightened the bandage again, the scout continued, "I saw one of the humans wandering around through the trees. I had thought that maybe it was just one of them, but then out of nowhere..." Trailing off, the scout only shook his head. "There were... dozens of them... and... and I... they took down... they took down Kolyat." Kolyat being the scouting partner Gabriel had assigned to him. He had insisted his scouts always go out in pairs. "They managed to clip me but I got away."_

_"Shit!" Gabriel rubbed at his beard before looking at Jack. "How could they have caught up to us so fast?" They had made so much ground in so little time, pushing themselves and their herd to the limit just to get an edge. How was it possible for the humans to much at a pace equal if not faster to their own?_

_"T-They were on something," The scout continued, "something that just... tore through the bushes faster than I have ever seen anything move." He licked his lips, eyes searching the ground as he tried to figure out how to describe it. "It wasn't alive, and it wasn't something that I could easily outrun. I only managed to get away because whatever it is can't move through the trees as we can. I... it was-" The loud crack of gunfire suddenly echoed through the forest behind them._

_If the herd hadn't been panicked before, they certainly were now. Everybody was on their feet now, rushing around, trying to regroup but a second round of gunfire had them scattering, screaming, and darting every which way._

_Whirling around, Jack raised his hands to them, his voice barely audible over the panic as he tried to settle everybody down. He dashed back and forth, grabbing arms to try and slow centaurs down, but the wrenched away from him._

_The bark from a nearby tree exploded, splinters of wood raining down over the herd as several more trees took a bullets impact._

_"Where are they?!" Gabriel roared, spinning around and flinching when a tree next to him splintered bark all over him. Pain flared across his cheek as the splinters sliced into his skin. "Where the hell are they?!" His eyes frantically scanned the woods, struggling to lock onto anything with all of the commotion._

_"To the pass! Hurry! Run! Go!" Jack could be heard yelling, and Gabriel turned to look at him, watching centaurs collide with him and scatter in all different directions. "Go! Run!"_

_Turning back around to the forest behind them Gabriel's eyes widened as he finally spotted the humans and what monstrosity they had been riding on. Like the scout had said, it could move equally as fast as one of them, and it had as it zipped in and out of trees. Large and mechanical, three or four humans sat atop each one that was quickly approaching him and the others._

_The humans yipped and howled, guns raised and firing into the air as they tore through the brush, gunning down every creature that they passed._

_"Gabe!" Jack wailed from farther ahead, and Gabriel turned to look at him. Jack's arm had been out, reaching for him as he tried to make his way back towards Gabriel but was shoved every which was as panicked herd members stampeded past him. "Gabriel!" He screamed, desperately, face full of horror when a loud pop sounds from behind Gabriel._

_Blood sprayed the air as Jack suddenly reared, eyes wide, shock covering his face as a bullet tore through his shoulder. The impact knocked him back, flipped him off hind legs and sent him crashing to the ground._

_Eyes wide, everything seemed to move in slow motion as Gabriel watched Jack's form collide with the ground. He didn't know he was screaming until his throat was raw and the noise he had made was something akin to a roar._

_"Jack!" Galloping towards his fallen mate, Gabriel fell by his side, gathering up Jack's form into his arms. Using his body as a shield, Gabriel pulled Jack's face up to look at him. "Jackie! Jack look at me!" Teeth bared, Jack hissed harsh pants through clenched teeth. His hand was clamped over his shoulder, blood pouring from his wound like a fountain._

_"I-I'm fine." Jack choked out, "Just... just got me in the shoulder." Two centaurs dropped along side of them, their bodies skidding in the grass, several others staggered upon impact, struggling to get away as the humans broke formation to chase them down. "We have to go!" Grabbing Gabriel's arm, Jack's legs kicked against the grass, struggling to get himself up. He'd yowled when Gabriel tried to help yank him to his feet, his body suddenly jerking over Jack's form and his grip failing._

_He snarled; face scrunching as he bared his canines._

_"Gabe!" A knot had caught in Jack's through as he watched Gabriel's face twist in pain at the bullet that had lodged itself into his gut from behind. "Gabe!"_

_"No more." Gabriel snarled, "No more." Pupils shrinking down to near nothing, Gabriel's hair seemed to stand on edge. A rage Jack had never seen before had bubbled up the dark centaurs form, distilling him as smoke began to rise from his shoulders. "No more."_

_"Gabe! Don't!" Snagging Gabriel's arm as the centaur began to rise, Jack begged. "Please! Gabriel, please! Don't go! Please!" Fingers phasing through Gabriel's arm, Jack watched with panicked eyes as Gabriel stood and turned._

_All Jack could do was watch as Gabriel's form erupted into a thick cloud of black smoke and whip through the trees._

_The smoke traveled to the closest group of humans he could find, colliding with them and knocking them from their vehicles. From thee Gabriel had reformed, body rearing as his sharp hooves came down on them. Stomping one after another, he didn't stop, his form erupting into a cloud again before zipping to his next target. Again, he knocks them from their rides, reforming to grab one by his throat and hoist him in the air._

_The humans struggled, legs kicking out every which was while their hands clawed at Gabriel's vice grip. They tried to scream, terrified as Gabriel roared at them and slammed them to the ground._

_He lifted them back up by the back of their head, then brought their head down again and again until frantic human yelling had Gabriel standing straight up again. He turned, form heaving as he watched several humans with torches in hand drag them along the grass, igniting the brush in an attempt to corner him._

_They swarmed him, having regrouped in an effort to take him down and Gabriel snarled at each and every one of them. He'd lunged at one, but a sharp pain biting into his belly had him staggering. Before he could even turn around to see who had shot him, another jolt of pain sliced across his arm._

_Rearing, Gabriel roared, fists clenched as he erupted into smoke once more, his form darting in multiple different directions. Shaping himself to have a razor point as he moved, he dated through the surrounding human bodies. Tearing through them one by one, he chased down the ones that had tried to flee. They howled when he punctured through their legs, taking them down only to jip through their chests, arms, and so on._

_He reformed, clawed, kicked, dragged, and destroyed everything he could get into reach before the gunfire had halted completely. Nothing but the crackle of the fire could be heard and the harsh wheezing pants escaping Gabriel's blood soaked lips._

_Jack, having held his arm over his eyes to shield himself from the fires burning glare, stared in horror as Gabriel stood over the bodies. His back was to him, form still not quite solid as smoke wafted from his back. His shoulders were trembling, bouncing unevenly as he took in every pained breath._

_Turning, he began to limp towards were Jack had been lying, his form progressively becoming solid the closer he drew. He had one arm drawn around his center; hand pressed against one of the main puncture holes in his form in an attempt to stop the bleeding. His lip was split, nose bleeding, cheeks still sliced and oozing._

_Hooves stumbling, Gabriel's form fell at a sideways angle, and Jack had reared up through the distance to catch him in open arms._

_"Gabriel!" Yanking Gabriel's upper half against his chest, Jack pressed the wounded centaurs face into his neck. "You idiot!" Jack screamed into the side of Gabriel's head, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Gabriel already had two hooves in the door._

_"We have to go." Gabriel croaked into Jack's chest. "We have to leave... right now." Form wavering in Jack's grasp, smoke twisted around Jack's body. It clung to him, hugging him when Gabriel's arms had been too weak to do so. "Help me up."_

_Doing as told, Jack pulled one of Gabriel's arms around his own shoulders and hauled him to his feet. Gabriel had hissed in pain, and Jack couldn't help doing the same, his own wound throbbing bitterly as Jack moved it._

_As Gabriel worked on getting his legs to support some of his weight, Jack looked around the burning area. His heart sank and a knot swelled tight in his throat as he scanned the area, several centaurs having fallen, and no others in sight. He'd called out to them, but no answer came, and nobody emerged from hiding. It was just them._

_"Let's go." Gabriel had insisted, leaning his weight forward to encourage Jack to walk, he did.  Despite being able to stand on his own every step was agony and Gabriel would stumble every few meters. It earned a curse from the both of them, Gabriel who had tried to catch himself, and Jack who had been half dragged down to the ground with him. That hadn't stopped Jack from practically dragging Gabriel through the forest._

_"We can't stop." Jack had insisted when Gabriel suddenly became heavier against his shoulder. "Come on Gabe, keep walking."_

_"I'm trying,_ cabrón _." Gabriel had hissed, but his vision was blurry and his knees weak. He'd like to have done nothing but lie down and close his eyes but with the way Jack was tugging him through the brush, he expected Jack to drag him by his tail if he had too._

_The pass wasn't much farther; they just had to survive long enough to make it there._

 

_~~~~~~~~~_

 

_They had made it to the pass just before midnight, the forests not pitch black and nothing but the moon above illuminating their way._

_Jack, utterly exhausted and covered in a light sheen of sweat had paused just outside of the passes entrance. He was panting so hard his throat felt raw and every muscle in his body had screamed for him to stop and rest, but he had pushed on. With Gabriel's arm slung over his shoulder, Jack had dragged him nearly the entire way, even using his enhanced ability at speed to try and quicken their pace, but it hadn't lasted long. Gabriel simply couldn't keep up, and after dragging his weight for so long, Jack's body had had enough as well. He'd managed only a half an hour at a quickened pace before slowing down, hoping it would be enough distance from devastation._

_"Do you-" Jack swallowed hard, still struggling to catch his breath as he looked all around the pass, "do you see anybody else? Did anybody make it here?" He turned every which way, eyes searching for any sign of his herd members only to come up with nothing._

_"Jack-" Gabriel's voice was weak, "we can't wait here." Leaning towards the pass, Gabriel felt Jack resist his pull. "If we stay and wait we risk the humans finding this pass." He watched Jack's eyebrows crease, his face conflicted._

_"Gabe-" Glancing down at his mate, Jack's eyes scanned Gabriel's face. It had paled an alarming amount, life slowly flowing from his body to ooze out between his fingers. His eyes were sunken into his skull, an equally exhausted look splashed across his damaged face. His grip around Jack had started to progressively weaken, the blood loss taking its toll._

_As much as Jack had wanted to stay and see his herd members pass, they had to keep moving. He had to find someplace to hunker down and attend to his and Gabriel's wounds and quickly. Gabriel was deteriorating fast._

_Gritting his teeth, Jack adjusted Gabriel's arm around his shoulder and turned towards the pass. Heading into it, he took it slow, struggling now and again to get over a few of the larger inclines and struggling not to slide down the declines. In total, it had taken them a good hour to completely pass from one side to another, Jack relieved when they reached flat land._

_Pushing on, Jack dragged Gabriel a good mile and a half more before Gabriel's footing started to become sloppy. He staggered more often, his front legs often failing on him and causing Jack's upper half to dip down jarringly to catch him. Each harsh tug stung his wounded shoulder and he'd cry out, body rattling under the strain to pull his mate back up._

_"Come on Gabe, we can't stop now." Jack had said upon a rather harsh fall, Gabriel stuck on his front knees, one hand in the grass to steady himself while Jack worked up the strength to pick him back up._

_"I'm not sure how much more I can go." Form withering, Jack had tried to grab Gabriel's arm, his fingers phasing right through as the wraith centaur struggled to keep himself solid. "Focus Gabe, I can't pick you up when you're like this." Jack tried again, his hand gripping solid flesh this time and he yanked Gabriel up onto his hooves once more._

_"You have to keep it together." Afraid Gabriel might phase right out of his grip all together, he hugged Gabriel close, hip to hip, body to body, giving Gabriel something to anchor to._

_Together they walked a mile more before pushing past some brush and into a small clearing. Jack had spotted the waterfall first, and then the river that it splashed down into snaking way from them and into the opposite side of the forest they had come from. It was... beautiful._

_Unable to walk any longer, Gabriel's legs finally gave out. With Jack's arms too weak to catch him any longer, Gabriel had slid out with ease and collapsed in a heap by Jack's side. His legs slid out from under him, giving him a rather disheveled look as Jack turned, grabbing his arms in an attempt to pick him back up._

_Having lost a decent amount of blood himself and absolutely terrified to the core, Jack couldn't get Gabriel to budge._

_"Gabe, please! You have to get up, we can't stop here!" Jack tugged again, his hind hooves digging into the grass and sliding a bit, but still Gabriel hadn't budged. Instead he just shook his head up at his panicked mate. "Damn it Gabriel! Get up! Get on your goddamn hooves!" Why did this idiot have to go and get himself shot through? Why did he have to get shot in the shoulder? Why couldn't he just pick him up? "Please-" Letting Gabriel's arms slide from his hands, Jack's own form crumbled down by Gabriel's side._

_Pulling Gabriel close, Jack let his wounded mate rest his weary head against his shoulder. He was cold against him, and Jack wrapped his arms tighter around him to offer what warmth and comfort he could. He nuzzled him, kissing at his uninjured cheek as he struggled to stifle a sob that had worked its way up his throat._

_"Hold on Gabe. You have to hold on." Reaching down and gently pulling Gabriel's hand away from his injured side, Jack felt a harsh knot swell in his throat at the sight. Blood had soaked Gabriel's entire side and dripped between his fingers. It was bad,_ really _bad and Jack wasn't sure he could handle this. Sure he could handle simple wounds, had done so many times during hunts with the herd, but this... this was too much. "You have to hold on for me, okay? Gabe? Just hold on for me." Voice cracking, Jack glanced up from the wound to Gabriel's foggy eyes. His lips were dry and cracked, and he licked them before swallowing hard._

_"It's alright," He said softly, tone a bit staggered as he tried to speak, "I just need to... rest." His eyes fluttered, and Jack shook him suddenly._

_"No, Gabriel, please," He begged, "Keep your eyes open!" Gabriel had opened them upon being shaken, but after a moment, they sagged shut again. "Gabe! Gabe please, open your damn eyes! Please Gabe!" Pressing his nose against Gabriel's cheek, Jack bared his teeth, thick tears welling up under his tired eyes. "Gabe!" He sobbed, rocking back and forth as he continued to yell. "Please, Gabe you can't leave me here! Please Gabe, I love you." He couldn't kiss him enough, couldn't cuddle or comfort fast enough to make it alright. "You're all I have left Gabe, please... don't leave me." Reaching down, Jack grabbed Gabriel's free hand, lacing their fingers together._

_"I'm so tired-" Gabriel had said, eyes still closed as he gave Jack's hand a weak squeeze. "Jack-" Gabriel says as the bushes a few feet from them begin to rustle._

_Startled, Jack jerked upright, eyes darting towards the movement. He watched only for a second before releasing Gabriel's hand to yank his knife out of his cloth pouch. Terrified and on edge, Jack held the knife up towards the movement, heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst from his chest. He isn't sure he can stand, and he knows he definitely can no longer pick Gabriel up but he is certain he will defend him to his last breath right here and right now if he has too._

_"Hello?" A soft voice suddenly catches Jack's ears, and he blinks as a woman pushes through the bushes. "Hello? Is anybody here?" She brushed herself off, eyes wandering to the waterfall first before turning and locking onto Jack. She jumped with a start and then froze in place, eyes wide as she locked onto Jack's knife. Slowly, she raised her hands to him, showing him she was unarmed and had no ill will. Only when her eyes wandered over to Gabriel, did she speak again. "Oh my God." Her eyes winded at the blood and she looked at Jack again, terror splashed across his face. Her hands moved upwards to cover her mouth, shocked by the sight of them._

_Hand trembling, Jack's eyes were so wide and focused he looked crazed. He'd gripped the knife so hard his palm had started to ache. His frantic eyes scanned her quickly, and he blinked when he realized she wasn't wearing what the usual gear the poachers wore. Instead she had a soft white blouse on with gray shorts and a light scarf. She had a side satchel backpack that hung from her left side. She had no weapons on her that Jack could see and judging by the look on her face, she had been genuinely upset to find them in such a state._

_Dropping the knife, Jack instead turned his entire focus on Gabriel. Wrapping both of his arms around him and hugging him close, Jack half turned his upper torso in an attempt to shield him from the woman. He sobbed softly, tears streaking down his face as he cupped Gabriel's cheek._

_"Please," Jack sobbed out, "leave us alone." He'd had enough._

_The woman's hands slowly dropped from her mouth, surprise now coloring her face at the fact these two creatures she had only ever read about had just spoken to her._

_"I-" She begins, swallowed hard before taking a cautious step towards them. "I can help you." Turning her attention to her bag, she flipped it open and began to dig around on the inside. Tugging out a few tags, she flashed them at Jack who had stiffened; afraid it might have been something to hurt them.  "I'm a doctor."_

_She held out her Medical ID but judging from Jack's still cautious expression, she wondered if he even knew what she meant. What was equivalent to a doctor for certain mythical species? "I can... I can treat your wounds." Jack locked eyes with her again, that seeming to catch his interest. He set his jaw, looking down at Gabriel who was barely conscious and could just barely keep his eyes open. He shook his head weakly up at the golden centaur. "Please, I won't hurt you." Her voice was soft, oddly comforting and from the genuinely worried look on her face, Jack believed her._

_Even if Jack had managed to find a safe place to hunker down for the day, there was no way he knew how to treat these kinds of wounds. Before he had fooled himself into thinking he might just be able to, but deep down he knew it had been a lost cause._

_Hugging Gabriel close, Jack sniffled and licked his lips before returning his gaze to the woman. She had kept her distance, but leans back and forth on each foot anxiously as the centaur's mind raced. Left alone, Gabriel would probably die in his arms in less than a day, but if this woman spoke the truth and she could really heal him, then he had to take the chance._

_"Can you... really help us?" Voice gritty with exhaustion, Jack looked up at the woman with hopeful but terrified eyes._

_"Jack," Gabriel whined and grimaced when Jack shushed him, "she's a human... you can't... you can't trust her."_

_"I'll need to take a look at the damage first, but I believe I can." She had nodded, a few stray strands of her golden hair falling beside her cheeks. From where she was standing she could tell it was pretty bad from the blood alone, but if she was to really gauge what kind of supplies she was going to need, she would need to get a closer look._

_Hesitant at first, Jack looked at Gabriel who had a disapproving look on his face. Ignoring it, he looked back up to the woman and nodded slowly to her to approach. He'd watched her like a hawk as she walked over, slow and steady as to not startle either of them before kneeling down in the grass in front of them._

_Right away her eyes locked onto Gabriel first, obviously in worse condition than the golden centaur before her. Littered with holes and scuffs, she reached out towards him and paused mere inches away._

_Taking the hint, Jack gently pushed Gabriel away from his chest and angled him in a way that the woman could get a better look at him. Judging from her expression, it wasn't good and his heart sank._

_"Who did this to you?" She reached down to where Gabriel had his hand pressed to his side and gently peeled it away._

_"_ You _." Gabriel's tone was venomous, but anymore words of bitterness had been bitten off by a pained hiss when the woman placed his hand back against his bleeding side._

_"Poachers-" Jack had said softly before he began to explain the events prior to this point. He'd explained the mass migration, the attack, Gabriel's foolish rebellion, the pass, and how they ended up here side by side bleeding out against one another. "Gabriel and I might be the only ones left."_

_The woman had covered her mouth again, her eyes squeezing shut from the brutal tale._

_"I'm_ ** _so_** _sorry. It's absolutely barbaric." Not to mention inhumane considering centaurs had a very keen likeness to human bodies. How was it not seen as morbid to them? "I'm am... so sorry." Shaking her head and taking a deep breath, the woman composed herself and returned to her work. One by one she looked over every wound scattered about Gabriel's body, withdrawing her hands when the centaur snarled at her. Jack had been quick to coo to him, rocking him and telling him to hold still while she worked._

_Finally, she sat back, eyes darting about Gabriel's body once more before she looked up at Jack, his eyes having slightly more hope in them then before._

_"Some of the bullets are not deep, I might be able to extract them and stitch him back up, but others are complicated." She'd read a few books regarding mythical anatomy, but hadn't paid much mind to it considering she hadn't every expected something like this to happen. "With the proper tools I could do it, but all I have is a simple First-Aid kit on my person. I'll have to make a trip to the village for the supplies and medicine."_

_"A village?" After all of the running they had done to escape one group of humans, they had found themselves placed by another._

_"It's about a mile out; if you follow the river it will lead you right to it. It's small, full of good and humble people. It shouldn't take me more than hour and a half to get there and back with what I need."_

_"An hour and a half?" Jack frowned, looking down at Gabriel who once again had closed his eyes. He pecked them open when Jack cupped his face and ran his thumb under his eye. His breaths came out in soft wheezy rasps, his form now dead weight against him. "I... I will carry you to the village then." Glancing up at the woman, Jack could see her eyes widen at the idea. He was fast, faster than any centaur before him and could be back in a flash with the supplies. "It will be faster that way." He hadn't wanted to leave Gabriel's side, but this was the best option._

_Taking a moment to shower Gabriel in kisses and nuzzles of affection, Jack whispered sweet nothing into his ear. He'd promised he'd come back, promised he would make it all better, and told him endlessly that he loved him._

_"I love you." Jack said as he began to pull away, his own arms feeling heavy as Gabriel began to slide from his arms. "I love you." His hands slid across Gabriel's arms until their hands met and their fingers caught. Hanging on for just a second more, Jack finally let him go and stood up. Gabriel had sagged a bit, his form leaning downward until finally he was laying flat on his side. "Just hold on, I'll be right back." He watched Gabriel stretch his tired legs and tug a hand under his head._

_"I'll be here." Gabriel said weakly, the corners of his mouth perking up a bit to give his worried mate some comfort. "You can't get rid of me this easily." He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and sighing as Jack turned towards the woman._

_Bending himself down until his front knees were touching the grass, Jack offered the woman his hand. Carefully she took it and slid onto his back, her hands pressed to her own chest as she wasn't quite sure what to do with them._

_"Hold onto me." Jack had lifted his arms slightly, coaxing the woman to slide her hands around him, and she did._

_Without another word, Jack was gone in a flash of gold._

 

_~~~~~~~~~_

 

_Jack had slowed himself to a trot just outside of the village gates, coming to a complete stop at its threshold. He'd been panting, a light sheen of sweat coating his upper body as he knelt down enough to let the woman off his bag._

_She staggered a bit, her hair a complete mess as she braced herself on the wooden fence._

_"Sorry, I should have warned you before I took off like that." He hadn't been thinking of what kind of a ride that would have been for her considering she was the first human he had ever let upon his back._

_"Quite alright, that was... amazing." Tucking stray hairs back down in place, the woman looked up at Jack, face worried. "Are you alright?" Jack's panting hadn't settled, and his entire upper half pale. She'd noted the wound on his shoulder, crusted over but still bleeding at a steady rate. She didn't doubt that it was paining him, and any extra exertion after everything he had already done was pushing him past his limits._

_"I'm alright." He had insisted, his eyes wandering from the woman's worried face up towards the village. He'd noticed on the way there that several plots of land had been cleared of the high grasses and the soil tilled. He'd also noticed several little dots moving about the fields and had felt a pit in his stomach knowing that when they had arrived there would be humans up at this ungodly hour. No doubt the farmers, but still, he had hoped they could do this without notice. "Gabriel needs more help than I, and I would like to hurry." He hadn't wanted to sound too desperate or pushy, but time was of the essence. They had reached their destination in a matter of minutes and in truth Jack hadn't wanted to take more than a half an hour to return to Gabriel._

_"Alright, follow me then, my far is just on the other side of the village." She motioned for Jack to follow her and paused just past the gate when the centaur hadn't budged from his place. Instead, Jack had looked left and right, eyes wandering to the few humans he could see more clearly now working the fields. Worry bubbled up his spine until he felt a gentle hand at his side. "It's alright." The woman spoke kindly, her voice something from the heavens. "Just stay close to me and nobody will bother you. The people here, I know it is hard to believe after what happened to you, but they are kind." Not to mention secluded. Jack had been curious as to why such a little village seemed to be so far from larger civilization. Then again, he wasn't about to complain._

_Nodding, Jack stepped forward, the two of them walking side by side along the dirt road that lead up into the meat of the village. Every few minutes Jack could feel the woman pet his side, easing the worry in his belly._

_They walked by several houses, Jack's eyes drinking them up and noting all the little details about them. Most of the windows had been dark, but every few hours a dim light would be glowing inside one of them. He had attributed it to one of the farmers who had been out tending to the fields. If he had to guess, it was a few hours before sunrise, and honestly it made him more tired at the fact he still hadn't had a good night's rest._

_Jack limped into the marketplace, hooves sore as he paused briefly to admire the large fountain in its center. He'd have had approached it if not for the few humans who suddenly seemed to come out of the shadows to watch them progress through the village square. At first he hadn't noticed them, but his skin had crawled when he sensed eyes all over him._

_He'd quickened his pace by the woman's side, swallowing hard as they passed a picket fence leading out to one of the small plots of land. Two humans had been leaning against the fence, their soft whispers falling silence and Jack had walked by, not even giving them a glance and instead staring dead ahead. He could hear their whispers suddenly pick up again and the soft patter of their footsteps trailing behind them._

_"It's alright," As if sensing the rising anxiety in Jack's form, the woman patted his shoulder again, "they are just curious. Just keep moving." Jack had done as he was told, continuing to walk without looking back at the humans who had started to follow. They had walked a small distance more before the woman at his side suddenly ran from his side._

_Jack had stopped, watching her rush towards something painfully familiar. It resembled one of the mechanical beasts that had chased his herd down, though smaller, and significantly less menacing when it wasn't moving. He'd swallowed hard, watching the woman tug open the back door and rifle around on the inside. She'd tossed several objects out onto the ground moments later; Jack watching every one of them hit the ground in a little pile._

_Pushing back out from her jeep, the woman tugged out a backpack with her and crouched down next to the supplies she had pulled out. Stuffing everything she could into it and clipping it shut, she held it up to Jack to hold._

_"Carry this; I have some more things I need to get. We should be able to carry it all on one go." Heading back to her car, the woman dove in a second time._

_"Haven't seen your kind around these parts in a_ long _time." A voice by Jack's side had startled him and he jumped, whirling around to face a pudgy man with a pipe hanging from his lips. "Since I was a boy in fact." Pulling the pipe from his lips and looking Jack up and down, the man exhaled a large cloud of smoke. "What are you doing here creature?" The man's voice wasn't hostile; in fact it was rather even and steady. His face had remained a stagnant expression, though his eyebrows had quirked up curiously when Jack opened his mouth to say something but only made a croaking nose in response._

_"I-" His eyes darted from the man to several other humans who began to gather. They all stayed behind the man with the pipe, eyes just as curious as his own. There had been no more than five of them, and three of them looked no older than fifteen._

_Despite the humans making no effort to grab at him, he felt cornered. His heart had begun to pound so hard against his chest he had feared it might burst through. Just the thought of not being able to get back to Gabriel had his head swimming. All he could hear now was Gabriel's faint words telling him not to do and to not trust them._

_Feeling within an inch of suffocating, a soft hand suddenly brushed through the fur at his side and his attention suddenly snapped to his right. There stood the good doctor, smiling up tenderly at him and soothing out his worries with nothing more than a few gentle pats._

_"It's alright." She had assured him before turning her attention to the man with the pipe. "Harvey," The man before her perked up, "do you have any fresh blankets and towel scraps I could borrow? I only need a few, and whiskey if you have any."_

_Jack watched as the man pulled his pipe from between his lips and huffed out another thick cloud of smoke. His eyes returned to Jack once more, looking him up and down before he focused on the hole in Jack's shoulder._

_Half turning, the man named Harvey looked at one of the teenage boys still gawking and spoke gruffly._

_"You heard what Angela said, fetch some blankets." He snapped his fingers and the boys behind him jumped into action. "And the Whiskey from the supply." It hadn't taken more than five minutes for the boys to return with the requested items. "Here you are." Taking the supplies from the boys and handing them out to both Jack and Angela, the man stood back. "Anything else?"_

_"No, this is perfect, thank you Harvey." Tossing the blankets over Jack's back, Angela slung a second backpack over her shoulders._

_"Thank you. Thank you so much." Bowing at Harvey, Jack clutched the supplies close._

_"Hmph," A small smile curved the corners of Harvey's mouth, "Keep yourself out of trouble." Smoke wafted from the man's nose now, "And take care of yourself and this woman, she's the only doctor who comes around these parts."_

_Nodding to the man, Jack watched him turn and shoo the gawkers off back to their work before he and Angela were left alone. He'd been overjoyed; pleased these humans were different from his past encounters. They were kind, generous, and he'd have to find a way to thank them better when things were not a current nightmare._

_"Ready?" Jack had asked as he turned to face Angela. He knelt down and offered her his back, and without a word she hopped on and coiled her arms around him. She'd kept the extra supplies wedged between herself and Jack's back, clinging to him tighter than before as she was well prepared for that bust of speed this time._

_Turning towards the main gate, Jack took a deep breath before leaning forward, and he was gone._

 

_~~~~~~~~~_

 

_Gabriel hadn’t heard them return, or the soft thump of Angela’s feet hitting the ground as she slid from Jack’s back. Instead, he remained where he was; eyes closed and for the most part unmoving except for the gentle rise and fall of his chest._

_“Gabe.” Jack had approached his injured mate after Angela had tugged the last of the blankets from his back. “Gabe.” Joints popping and creaking, Jack laid himself down once more by Gabriel’s side and gathered his upper form into his arms. “I’m here now.” Leaning down and kissing the bridge of Gabriel’s nose, Jack let out a small breath of relief when Gabriel groaned under him._

_“Can’t just let me sleep, can you?” Eyes begrudgingly opening about half way, Gabriel did his best to look pissed. His scrunched features hadn’t lingered long, face relaxing after Jack planted a kiss on his damp forehead._

_“Just hold on a little longer for me. You’re going to be alright now.” Angela had shifted behind them, and she’d paused behind Jack when Gabriel’s tired eyes flicked towards her._

_She had things in her hands, and no matter how many times Gabriel had tried to blink his vision into clarity he just couldn’t recognize the hazy blobs. He’d stiffened when she leaned even closer, and he shifted his legs wearily._

_“It’s alright.” Jack had assured him before glancing at Angela himself. She had a bottle in hand and was working the cap off before extending the bottle towards Gabriel._

_“Drink this,” She tilted the bottle slightly, the brownish gold liquid on the inside shifting, “it will help your nerves.”_

_Looking from the bottle to the woman and then back down at the bottle, Gabriel reached out after a long pause and took it from her. He’d brought the bottles mouth close to his nose, giving the liquid a quick sniff before finally putting it to his lips. Taking a deep gulp, he suddenly jerked his head back and gagged._

_“What the hell is that?” The liquid had stung at his throat but warmed the insides of his belly. It was certainly exotic, whatever it was._

_“Whiskey.” Tapping the underside of the bottle, the woman had encouraged him to take another swig. “It’s going to take the edge off.” Or at least she hoped so considering she wasn’t even sure she had enough medicine on hand to do the job. When it came to proper dosage for a human, she was sure she had enough, but a centaur was at least ten times the body weight of a regular human. It was all up in the air at this point._

_Turning away from the two creatures to sift through the supplies they had gathered, Angela laid everything out on one of the blankets. Organizing things in little piles, she grabbed two boxes and opened them._

_She’d filled two syringes with two separate vials, often referencing the back of the box for dosage instructions but of course it said nothing about centaurs. She’d huffed to herself as she capped them, snagging a few of the towel scraps next. She’d dunked them in the river, wringing them out until they were nice and damp before taking up a place close to Gabriel’s side._

_“Ready?” She had asked after doing one final check of all of her supplies. Scissors, stitches, tweezers, plenty of bandages, cloth, and an assortment of other things all at the ready within arm’s reach of her._

_“Yes.” Jack had spoken before Gabriel could grunt. So much time had already passed and Jack had just wanted this all to be over already._

_“Alright-” Taking the two needles in hand, Angela uncapped one and leaned close to Gabriel. “Hold still.” Sliding one of the damp cloths across Gabriel’s shoulder, she stuck him with the first syringe._

_“Ngn!” The sting had been surprising, but Gabriel had held still for the second one, sagging into Jack’s chest feeling him nuzzle his nose into the top of his head._

_“I’m going to start by cleaning his wounds first.” Taking a new cloth in hand, Angela had gotten right to work. She dabbed at every opening in Gabriel’s skin as kindly as she could, pausing every time Gabriel hissed or dug his hooves into the grass. When he settled, she continued to remove caked on blood from his form._

_She paused at smaller wounds, setting her cloth down to pick up a small round canister that she unscrewed. Dipping her fingers into it, she came back out with strange glowing yellow goo that she smeared across Gabriel’s wounds. Once done, she would place a patch of gauze over it and move on._

_“Gabe?” Jack had looked down when he felt Gabriel’s weight suddenly shift, his entire form sagging against Jack’s body. “What’s wrong? Gabe?” Panic bubbled up Jack’s spine when he gave Gabriel a gentle shake. “Gabe?” The centaur in his arms didn’t respond, and his eyes were closed now. “Gabriel!” Cupping Gabriel’s cheek, Jack gave him a gentle pat to try and rouse him. “What’s happening?! Why isn’t he waking up?”_

_“It’s alright.” Jack’s eyes darted to the woman who hadn’t looked up from her work. Busying herself with digging out one of the bullets lodge in Gabriel’s hip, she tossed it to the ground when she got it. “It’s just the medicine. It’s just made him tired. It’s a good thing that he’s asleep.” She had been relieved, fearing the sedative dose would have been too small to actually knock Gabriel out. For a human they would have been knocked out cold in seconds, but it had taken Gabriel at least ten minutes to fade into slumber. “With the sedative working, the antibiotic I gave him should help fight any infection that might arise.” She hadn’t been as sterile as she would have liked, so she’d juiced him with extra medicine just in case._

_Jack had relaxed, but his face remained worried as he stroked his thumb under Gabriel’s eye. Every once in a while Angela would glance up and catch Jack pressing his nose against Gabriel’s forehead. It was a sweet gesture, and even though she had worked in near silence she could hear Jack whispering things to Gabriel once in a while. He’d coo to Gabriel when he shifted in his sleep, his face scrunching whenever Angela dug a little too deep for a bullet._

_An hour had passed and Angela had cut, sutured, and practically glued Gabriel back together before she was finally wrapping the last of the bandages around his form._

_“Do you mind if I ask you something?” Jack had broken the long silence as Angela applied a little more of that yellow goo to Gabriel’s side._

_“Of course.” She’d glanced up at Jack, her face now tired, but her hands never slowing their work._

_“What were you doing out in the forest… alone.” He’d been curious about it before. It had come across very odd for a woman her size to be wandering  such a place in general, let alone in the middle of the night._

_“As you know, I’m a doctor, one of the head surgeons that the hospital in this region. I had heard there were special herbs in this forest that have great medicinal value and wanted to pick a few for myself. Normally I would have come in the morning, but I was looking for a particular mushroom that glows a vivid blue. You’ll understand why they are easier to find at night than they are in the daytime.” Placing a large gauze pad over the wound on Gabriel’s side, Angela sat back and ran the back of her hand across her forehead. “I had managed to only find two of them before I heard you two.” She’d heard Jack in particular, sobbing over Gabriel. Having feared someone might have been hurt, she had rushed towards them, not realizing how right she would be._

_“Your name is Angela… right?” He’s heard the man in the village mention her by that name, and now he had felt as little stupid for not asking for it before._

_“Yes.” Beautiful name really, fit her face and features well. “Yourself?”_

_“This is Gabriel,” As she no doubt was very aware of by now, “and I’m Jack.” His eyebrows quirked up at her suddenly smile and the small laugh that escaped her._

_“I had expected something a little more-”_

_“Difficult to pronounce?” Jack couldn’t help but chuckle as well. “Not all centaurs prefer cryptic names. Some are rather simple.” Jack’s was as simple as it could get._

_He’d watched her give every bandaged taped to Gabriel’s body one last look before reaching over and taking her little hand in to his own._

_“Thank you.” He gave her hand a light squeeze, and she squeezed back, smiling up at him._

_“You’re welcome.” Pulling her hand away and reorganizing the mess of supplies, she turned back to Jack with a fresh cloth. “Now it’s your turn. Let’s have a look at that shoulder of yours.”_

_Carefully laying Gabriel down on the grass to rest, Jack shifted himself to face Angela. Sitting as still as possible to allow her to work unimpeded, he only winced and whined a few times as she dabbed at the wound. He’d expected the yellow goo to burn, but it had tingled and warmed his skin, oddly enough making the area feel a lot better almost instantly._

_It had been uncomfortable work, but Anglea was as gentle a possible, talking him through everything she was doing and telling him the bullet had gone clean through. Now all he needed was rest and time to heal._

_“You should get some rest now.” Tying off the bandage, Angela sat back, finally done. She’d taken in a deep breath, letting out a content sigh as she stood and brushed her pants off. Turning her back to Jack, she wandered over to the river to wash her bloodied hands off._

_Upon turning around, she spotted Jack with Gabriel in his arms once more, slowly rocking back and forth. The movement was subtle enough that it wouldn’t disturb any of the bandages but enough to be a comfort. His eyes had been closed and his nose pressed into the side of Gabriel’s head._

_Sitting herself against a tree, Angela tugged one of the unused blankets up and around her lap, eyes heavy as she watched the two creatures._

_Exhaustion had finally crept up on Jack, lulling him into a much needed sleep._

 

_~~~~~~~~~_

 

_The sound of birds chirping all around him had pulled him from his slumber. He’d shifted, not yet wanting to open his eyes and instead the sensation of the sun beating down on his fur from between the trees._

_He’d soaked the sensation up for a little while longer before he finally allowed his eyes to flicker open. Right away he had squinted, the world far too bright for him as he tried to blink it all into clarity._

_Looking down, Gabriel had still been in his arms, cheek pressed against his chest and features relaxed. He hadn’t looked as pale as he did the night before, and his breathing had come and gone at a steady rhythm._

_They had survived._

_Unable to help himself, Jack kissed Gabriel’s cheek and looked up, taking in the new world around him. It was beautiful during the day, the waterfall across the clearing glistening in the summer light. All around them bugs chirped and a soft breeze had picked up, sending goosebumps across Jack’s skin as it had been one of the best thing he had felt in the last few days._

_His eyes continued to wander until he spotted a lump lying flat across the grass. It had taken him a second to recognize Angela’s form, but there she was, passed out with her head on her leather bag and one of the blankets draped over her. She’d been drooling a bit, her hair a mess and her arms bent every which way, but somehow she still looked as lovely as ever._

_Placing Gabriel’s form back down in the grass, Jack stood himself up. Right away he had regretted it, every joint and muscle in his body screaming at him to lay back down and not move for another century. His knees popped and his back ached, but he’d just been happy he was alive._

_On sore hooves, Jack walked himself towards the river, sitting down by it in a heap before dipping his hands into the cool water. Cupping them, he’d lifted his hands to his mouth and took a deep drink._

_Water had never tasted so good, and the sensation of it spread across his chest as he took another sip from his palms. He’d dipped his hands into the water three more times until the thirst he had harbored was satisfied._

_“Jack?” Glancing over his shoulder, Jack watched as Angela sat herself up and rubbed sleep from her eyes. “How are you feeling?” She’d stretched, completely oblivious to her lopsided bun._

_“Like hell, but I’d be worse off if you weren’t here.” He’d stood again, stretching this time and itching at his back before taking up his place by Gabriel’s side. He’d gathered his limp form back up into his arms, letting Gabriel’s head rest on his shoulder. “Thank you for staying the night.” He’d honestly been surprised to see her there. He’d expected she would be miles away from them by now that she had done everything she could, but here she was._

_“It’s nothing.” She’d stood herself, stretching her arms over her head and rubbing at her own sore back. “I wasn’t about to leave you two alone out here in such a state.”_

_For all the bad humans they had run into, this woman seemed to make up for a majority of them. Selfless, kind, and far too generous, Jack had been thankful for her. Not only that, but the villagers hadn’t been opposed to helping either. Perhaps things would start looking up from here._

_“I’m not sure what Gabriel and I are going to do from here. We can’t travel far the way we are.” At best they wouldn’t be able to travel at all until Gabriel was at least fully healed. That could take weeks._

_“Why not just stay here? As far as I know you and Gabriel are the only two beats that live here. The forests were empty before you had arrived, at least the parts close to the village.” Tapping her chin, Angela’s eyes had searched the ground as she tried to think of any mythical creatures sightings in the last few years. Most of the species had been pushed away from human populated areas. “The villagers here are kind, and as long as you’re not a threat to them I don’t believe they will find issue with you taking up refuge here.” Especially after what happened to them, the villagers wouldn’t mind. “How about you and I head back to the village in a little while and get to know everybody?”_

_“In daylight?” Jack had asked, looking up and around to try and figure out what time it had been at that moment._

_“Mhm, introduce yourself, show them you’re nothing to be afraid off. Let them get to know you.” It would at least help beat down the stigma of all mythical creatures being bloodthirsty beasts._

_“They won’t mind?” He’d perked up when she shook her head._

_“Plus, if you stick around, it will be easier to find you and visit.” She’d winked as she had reached up to begin fixing her messy bun. “It will be easier to find herbs if I have someone a little more familiar with the area to help me.”_

_Jack had laughed at that, his heart suddenly feeling lighter at the playful banter they were sharing._

_“I would… really like that actually.” The prospect of finally being safe was sinking in, and Jack continued chatting with the woman as if they had known each other for decades._

_Only when Gabriel suddenly shifted in Jack’s arms did Jack’s attention shift down to him. He’d watched closely as Gabriel’s eyes suddenly fluttered open and squinted at the bright light of the world._

_When his eyes had focused he’d locked onto those beautiful blue eyes he knew only belonged to Jack. In that moment the corners of his mouth curved upward at the sight of him._

     "Mi sol.”

* * *

 

He’d sat in the shade, tail swishing back and forth to rid himself of pestering bugs as he dozed in and out. He’d only opened his eyes upon hearing Jesse’s laugh, and the soft drum of hooves against the ground.

        Jack and Jesse had played in the field, chasing one another back and forth before finally they had lain in a thick patch of grass to catch their breath.

        Gabriel could hear Jesse whining, and when he peeped his eyes open he watched the colt squirm in front of Jack. He’d leaned away from Jack’s hands as the larger centaur had tried to groom him, licking his thumbs and smudging them across Jesse’s dirty cheeks.

        He’d heard Jack say something to Jesse, probably something along the lines if _hold still_ but Jesse wasn’t having it. He’d wiggled and leaned away from Jack every which way until he popped up from the grass.

        He’d been giggling as he ran circles around Jack who had insisted he sit back down to finish his grooming. Any attempt to grab at Jesse had failed as Jesse was nimble and evaded each grab with ease. Only when Jack stood up did Jesse dash away from him, bolting across the golden grass until he was rushing at Gabriel.

        Jumping over the resting centaur’s back, Jesse ducked behind him, popping his head back up after a second to spy on Jack who was slowly approaching.

        Unable to help himself, Gabriel had managed a small smile. Life was good here.

        Stopping halfway into the shade, Jack set his hands down on his hips and glared at Jesse from over Gabriel. His eyes had shifted to his mate who only shrugged at him, not wanting to get involved in this fight for fear Jack’s thumbs would come for his cheeks next.

        “Jesse-“ Jack had taken a single step forward and in that split second the colt burst out from behind Gabriel’s back and took off. He’d whizzed by Jack and kicked playfully at the air when he was out of reach, prancing around the field in victory.

        Dropping his arms by his sides, Jack only sighed and plopped himself down by Gabriel’s side. His tail flicked in slight irritation, but he hadn’t let the feeling linger for long.

        “Gabe,” Jack had said after a moment of silence, “Are you alright?”

        “Hmm? What do you mean?” Cocking his head to the side, Gabriel glanced at Jack, his face warm but a hint of worry hiding behind his cheeks.

        “You’ve just been sitting here staring at Jesse and I for the last three hours. Is something on your mind?” Jack’s eyebrows had risen at Gabriel’s surprised expression, curious to know if Gabriel had realized he was staring all his time.

        Reaching up and rubbing at his beard, Gabriel took in a deep breath and considered the question as he exhaled. Without a word he leaned in towards Jack, grabbing his face and pulling him in for a tender kiss.

        “Mhph?” Eyes wide and slightly dazed, Jack kissed back after the initial shock. Their lips parted, and Gabriel had chuckled at Jack’s flushed cheeks and slightly gaping mouth.

        “Are you happy here?” Gabriel had suddenly asked as his eyes flicked from Jack’s beautiful face out towards were Jesse was still prancing around. He’d watched Jesse run, trip over himself and roll through the grass like he always had. Always quick to recover, he popped back up and returned to doing whatever it was he was doing out there, looking as cute as a button as always.

        “Y-Yeah.” Eyes following Gabriel’s line of sight, Jack licked his lips and looked back at his mate. “Are _you_ happy?” Where had all of this been coming from?  He’d watched Gabriel nod, arms crossed, and content with life. He had never been happier than right now.

 

* * *

 

The weekend and the midsummer’s festival had been fast approaching but the days leading up to it had progressed as usual.

        Despite their time running out together, it hadn’t slowed Jesse down from spending every waking moment he could with Hanzo and Genji. They’d meet at some point during the day in their usual spot by the river to play. On the hottest days they would visit the waterfall and swim in peace behind the shelter of the trees.

        When they were drying off, they had shared all kind of treats with Jesse that he had never had before. Cakes, candies, and popsicles being the thing consumed the most on the warmest days of the summer. He’d found out from trying all these things that he had been fond of the flavors, peach, watermelon, and pineapple, but certainly not banana or grape. The sour face had had made upon tasting them had Genji rolling on the grass back and forth in a fit of laughter.

        They sit and eat, chatting with one another, simply enjoying each other’s company for as long as they could. When not resting in the shade, they would play in every safe area of the forest they could. Jesse having learned quickly that Genji was rather nimble when it came from climbing trees and launching himself from branch to branch. He’d marveled at it, wishing he could do such a thing but with the way his body was designed, tree climbing wasn’t a good idea.

        Being grounded wasn’t all that bad, not when he could easily outrun both of the boys even when they sprinted across the vast open fields. It had aided Jesse well when they played hide and seek or tag, always resulting in Jesse never being caught unless snuck up on.

        On days Genji was busy; Hanzo and Jesse would sit by the falls together and talk about everything and anything under the sun. The days had been less playful but in truth Jesse hadn’t minded. In fact, getting to spill his worries to someone had made him feel a lot better, even though he had Jack and Gabriel, talking to Hanzo seemed better.

        He’d listen closely to everything Hanzo had to say, in turn listening to the boy’s worries and offering what comfort he could. He;d been endlessly curious about Hanzo’s life and the boy spared no detail when answering every question the little colt had. In what little time they had spent together a friendship as strong as iron had been forged.

        They would talk until the sun began to go down and like always Jesse would walk with Hanzo back to the village before waving goodbye. It hadn’t been permanent yet, and the next day Jesse would wait like always for them to return.

        All of it had been perfect, but the weekend was upon them and their time together running to an end. Neither of them had wanted to mention it, but in the soft silences that fell between them in conversation, the ache had been there. As much as they had wished the weekend would never come, it would arrive regardless.

        Jack had noticed right away the tank in Jesse’s mood Saturday night, returning to the nest without his usual radiant glow. He hadn’t said anything to the colt, at least not right away. Instead Jack watched him lay down next to him, leaning his little form into Jack’s belly and pick at the grass absently. He’d been quiet, too quiet considering Jack could never get him to stop talking about what he had done that day with the boys. Now, silence.

        Only when Jack had caught tears welling under Jesse’s eyes did he lean down to his sad little colt, nudging his nose into his cheek.

        “Jesse-” Jack cooed softly and watched as Jesse ran a hand across his cheek as a tear escaped. “What’s wrong?” He’d waited patiently as Jesse sniffled and cleared his throat.

        “What if he doesn’t remember me?” Jack had tilted his head at the question and watched Jesse rub his little fists against his eyes. “What if he leaves and he forgets all about me? What if he doesn’t come back?” That had hurt Jesse the most, not knowing if he would ever see the only two friends he had managed to make ever again. He tried to speak again, and his voice cracked, getting himself worked up.

        Brushing a few strands of Jesse’s hair from his face, Jack brushed away a few stray tears and smiled at him.

        “Nobody can forget such a sweet face.” Be it a little dirty, Jesse was a creature worth remembering.

        Jesse’s sad expression hadn’t faltered, tears still threatening to spill over. He’d looked away, shaking his head and shrugging at Jack’s response.

        Humming, Jack began to pick several little white flowers that had sprouted through the grass. Carefully, he placed them in Jesse’s hair, continuing to rub tears from his cheeks.

        “You could always give him something to remember you by too if you believe memory alone is not enough.”

        “Like what?” Looking up at Jack now, Jesse held still as the larger centaur continued to weave flowers together.

        “Well, Gabriel used to travel to the village every once in a while and visit the florist there. He knew I liked sunflowers and would ask for them when they were in season. Back when Gabriel actually used to visit the village, he’d bring me back them as a gift. They were nice and thoughtful, perhaps something like that would be nice?”

        Jesse hummed in thought at that, but Hanzo didn’t seem like the type to want flowers. Flowers would wilt over time and Jesse wanted to give him something useful.

        “Friends always find their way back to each other, just like Angela.” Upon finishing decorating Jesse’s hair, Jack watched Jesse lean into him, calmer now, mind lost in thought at gift possibilities.

 

* * *

 

Sunday morning Jesse had popped from the nest before Jack or Gabriel had roused themselves. He hadn’t bothered waiting for either of them to wake up for breakfast and instead darted across the fields towards the river as fast as his little hooves could take him.      

        He’d jumped into the stream without hesitation, right away flipping over every rock he could find. Searching faster than he had ever had, he plucked one coin after another from the riverbed.

        He’d never searched as thoroughly as he had today, leaving no stone unturned. He’d even walked downstream, searching areas he had never looked before for any chance at one more coin.

        He’d saved his coins, his little pouch now heavy with the weight of them all. With Hanzo and Genji having recently supplied him with snacks of all kinds, he had bought fewer sweetbreads from the baker. It hadn’t taken long for his nearly empty pouch to be tight and full.

        Panting in the hot summer sun, Jesse brought his hand up to his forehead and wiped away the sweat that had accumulated there. He’d been running back and forth so much even the cool river water had done little to cool him off.

        Opening his little pouch and taking a handful of coins out, Jesse counted every one of them. He’d let out a satisfied laugh at the quantity, pleased with himself at the fact his hard work had paid off. He should have enough now to buy something nice in the marketplace.

        Placing his coins safely back into their pouch, Jesse knelt down and cupped his hands in the river water. Splashing himself a few times on the face to cool down, he shook out his hair and hopped back onto dry land.

        The village was only a ten minute walk from where he had been and he’d trotted through the main gate. Slowing to a walk, he moved himself towards the marketplace, wandering each booth with wide eyes.

        It had hardly been the first time he had gawked at all of the different trinkets on each table, but it had been the first time he was looking for something perfect.

        He’d paused at some booths, eyes scanning the wears only for him to hum in wonder if Hanzo would even like any of the things there. Combs, jewels, gadgets Jesse wasn’t familiar with, foods, and all sorts of things he deemed not good enough.

        He’d paused by the flower booth, remembering what Jack had said, but again, flowers didn’t last. There had been sweets, and Jesse knew Hanzo had liked them considering the amount they always ate together but that too wasn’t permanent. Tasty, but not permanent.

        He’d wandered for a while, sighing when he felt like he would never find anything good enough until he came across the booth that had the hat he had fancied. It still sat atop the mannequins head, waiting for him to finally buy it. He’d stared at it a moment before his eyes wandered down to the table in front of the booth.

        His head cocked to the side at the vibrant assortment of scarves and head ware he really never bothered taking a second glance at.

        His eyes had locked onto a long piece of golden fabric, an intricate half circle design imprinted into it. When it caught the light, it seemed to shimmer, giving it a rather beautiful and regal look.

        Reaching out and touching it, Jesse blinked in surprise at how soft it was. Silk perhaps? It was think, far too thin to be a scarf and for a moment he wondered if it was some sort of hair tie.

        Now that he thought about it, Hanzo’s hair always did seem to get in the way even with that little blue elastic he used most of the time, several strands would always get in his face. More often than not he would catch Hanzo tucking his hair behind his ears. Perhaps something as nice as this could be better than that little elastic.

        Tail wagging behind himself, Jesse suddenly held the golden cloth up to the woman behind the booth.

        “Are you sure?” She’d seemed surprised, “This is just as much as the hat you want.” She watched Jesse look up at the hat and then back down to the cloth in his hands.

        The hat would be there tomorrow, Hanzo wouldn’t. He had all the time in the world to dig for more coin, and this was more important.

        “I’m sure.” Placing the cloth down and digging through his pouch, Jesse began setting his coins down. Counting each one out, he placed them all in little piles and pushed them towards the woman when he was done. Thanks to the kind woman at the baker’s booth, Jesse had learned to count the humans currency more accurately than when he first had tried.

        Taking the coins and counting them, the woman placed them into her till and picked up the golden cloth. She folded it up nice and neatly for Jesse and then handed it over.

        “Thank you!” Squeezing the cloth and hugging it close to his chest, Jesse whirled around. He hadn’t even given his hat a second glance as he skipped off into the market place, searching for someone that might help him wrap his gift.

       

* * *

 

By midday, Jesse had returned himself to his usual meeting spot by the river. Having sat himself in the shade of a large boulder, he had dozed for a half an hour before Genji’s voice had called out to him.

        He’d opened his eyes to see Genji running across the field, one arm waving furiously back and forth until he was upon him. Out of breath and panting, Genji pulled his scarf off and fanned himself with it.

        “Where is Hanzo?” Jesse had leaned slightly to the side, eyes searching the fields for Hanzo who might have just been trailing behind.

        “Hanzo is busy with father until the evening.” The green haired boys tone was perhaps a bit too happy at that but then again Genji had been the one dragged off to do clan work more often than Hanzo.

        Trying not to be bummed about it, Jesse had played with Genji for the majority of the afternoon instead. For one, Genji seemed to have ten times the energy when it came to Hanzo, resulting in a rather amusing time.

        They’d spent a decent amount of time in the river, the two of them competing with one another over who could catch the most frogs. They’d set them on the grass, naming each and every one of them and running after them when they tried to escape.

        After having their fill, they sat against one of the large boulders, side by side in the shade.

        “You know,” Genji had said tugging on the front of his shirt to cool himself down, “Hanzo’s been acting strange lately.”

        “How so?” Jesse had asked as he picked a rock free from his hoof. He’d looked up when he heard Genji hum and watched him tap his chin in thought at the question.

        “Well, for one he seems happier. He smiles a lot more now, and it’s weird.” Despite Genji’s grimace, Jesse felt a smile curve the corners of his own mouth. “He never used to smile. He’s always been so serious and when he didn’t have to be. He’s a lot more fun now.” Rocking in place, Genji suddenly laughed. “I think it’s because of you.”

        Startled, Jesse jumped and looked to the side, face red. He reached up and rubbed at the back of his neck, his other hand playing absently with the grass below his legs.

        Hanzo did seem to always be smiling when they were together, even if it was small and barely noticeable. He’d laughed more too, and it was honestly such a nice thing to hear. All things rare had that effect.

        “I think he needed someone like you.” Leaning back against the rock, Genji sighed, “A friend… a _best_ friend.” He’d corrected himself quickly.

        Unable to help himself now, a wide smile smeared itself across Jesse’s face. Despite Genji saying no more on the topic, they sat together and continued to chat. Genji excited about the foods going to be available later in the night during the festival.

        They had parted ways a little past three, Genji insisting that Jesse come to the village when the sun went down to join the party.

        “We’ll party like there is no tomorrow!” He had said, jogging backwards as he waved at Jesse, soon vanishing over the hill.

        If only tomorrow didn’t come, then things could be perfect, but time waits for no man and no centaur.

 

* * *

 

It hadn’t been until a little past seven P.M that Jesse had heard the first low thrums of music from the distance. The sun had just set and the surrounding area basked in the most beautiful pink and purple glow he had seen all season. A view he would never grow tired off.

        From where Jesse had laid himself in the grass, he could see the village but it didn’t seem any different aside from the extra amount of noise radiating from it. He hadn’t paid much mind to it, and neither did Jack or Gabriel who had continued to wander about the fields as usual.

        Only when the sky had grown hard enough for Jesse to finally soak in the beauty of the village lined with decorative light. They’d been placed on each building, an assortment of colors while several light stings hung from one building to another. From a distance, it looked like fireflies of all different colors had surrounded the little community.

        It had been beautiful, and around nine Jesse finally popped up to investigate. He’d been a little disappointed at first at how uninterested Jack and Gabriel had both been but considering they had lived on this side of the mountain longer than Jesse, they were used to the festival by now. It had been a shame really, and Jesse wondered if one day the wonder of it would fade from him too.

        Without thinking too hard on it, Jesse trotted himself through the grasses, pausing just outside of the glowing village gate to admire it. He’d never seen anything like it and despite his best effort; he gawked at all of the decorations.

        Upon entering the village and making his way to the large open plaza that was normally set up with booths, Jesse’s eyes widened at how open it was without them. At least all of them, some of them had remained with large offerings of free food on them. The rest of the space had been filled with music players and humans dancing around each other without a care in the world.

        They were laughing, linking arms and swirling around one another, and Jesse felt himself trotting in place at all of the excitement. He hadn’t held himself back, and instead dashed into the groups of people, spinning around with them. He’d been a storm of giggles when a woman grabbed his hands, spinning around with him and laughing with him. They released hands and switched partners, Jesse going around and around until he was out of breath and pulled off to the side to rest for a moment.

        His eyes had wandered and landed on something familiar, Genji. He had been leaning against the fountain, watching everybody while also clapping. Only when he spotted Jesse approaching him did he suddenly wave with both hands at him.

        “Greetings, Jesse.” The boy had to shout over the music. “What do you think?”

        “It’s great!” Jumping in place, Jesse had clasped his hands together before looking around. “Is Hanzo here?” He’d been disappointed when Genji shrugged at him.

        “I saw him leaving the village a few hours ago. I had thought it was to go get you for the party.” Except if Jesse was here and Hanzo wasn’t, that hadn’t happened. “I thought he would have returned by now.”

        “I’ll go look for him.” Genji hadn’t protested to that and instead nodded to Jesse and wished him luck as he trotted off. First he had looked all around the open square, eyes scanning every person in hopes of locating Hanzo but he hadn’t been dancing. Nor was he one of the several human standing on the outskirts of the plaza, simply watching with drinks in hand.

        Worrying the bottom of his bandana, Jesse had walked through the rest of the village, even sections that nobody had been in. He’s searched the few bits of tilled land before finally heading to the main gate. He’d wondered if Hanzo had even come back at all in the first place.

        Where would he have gone?

        Exiting the village, Jesse followed the dirt path back out into the open fields. He hadn’t had to walk far before the vibrant glow of the gate was gone and he had been shrouded in darkness. The music wasn’t as loud now, but he could still hear it muffled behind him, the sound crickets now surrounding him.

        He’d walked a good half a mile from the village before a faint yellow glow atop one of the grassy hills had caught his eye. It was faint, but bright enough that he could see a figure sitting next to the lantern.

        Heading towards it, it hadn’t taken Jesse long to recognize Hanzo’s stuff outline. He’d been relieved to find him, his mind starting to over think all the things that might have happened to him. He’d smiled when he got but a few feet from Hanzo, but frowned when he realized he was there all alone.

        “Hanzo,” Pulling at the bottom of his banner, Jesse watched as the boy glanced over his shoulder, “what are you doin up here all by yourself? Mighty lonely up here, don’t you think?”

        “I am not one for parties.” Looking back down at the village, Hanzo patted the grass by his side, inviting Jesse to sit by him. “I prefer the quiet here, and the breeze feels better.” The second part had been true. There was nothing like a warm summer night’s breeze to wash over their skin.

        Without hesitation, Jesse sat by Hanzo’s side like he always had when they were together. He’d tuck his little legs under himself and lay like a perfect loaf while Hanzo always sat on his knees.

        A comfortable silence had fallen between them, simply enjoying each other and the soft thrum of the village’s music.

        “I am going to miss you.” Hanzo had finally said after what felt like an eternity of silence. It had taken Jesse off guard and he snapped his head to the side to look at Hanzo with eyes as round as dinner plates.

        Hanzo hadn’t looked at Jesse, and instead had focused his gaze downward at the ground. His hands which had been placed on his thighs had gripped into the thin fabric of his pants as if he had been frustrated.

        “I’m going to miss this.” The peace, the company, and the chance to be something other than a protégé his father had so badly wanted him to be. “I’ve met anybody like you, Jesse. I’ve never met anybody who can do the things you are capable of.” Making him happy, for one. “I’d wish our paths had crossed sooner. Regardless, I am honored to have you in my life now.”

        Jesse’s little tail had wagged and he had blushed at least six different tones of red at Hanzo’s words. He’d turned his head away, trying to hide his embarrassment while flapping a hand at the boy to stop.

        “I’m happy we met to, Hanners.”  He’d chuckled at the face the boy gave him at the nickname, but a smile soon followed. “I hope I get to see you again… after you leave. I know you’re mighty busy but… it would be nice.” He’d fumbled over his words a bit, but then began to tell Hanzo all the things they would do if he came back. He’d rambled on and on and on while Hanzo sat there and listened, his fingers unknotting from the fabric in his pants as he relaxed.

        “Oh!” Jesse jumped, suddenly remembering his gift. Twisting, he started to dig through his pouch before he pulled out a tissue paper wrapped item. A little string had been wrapped around it, tied neatly in a bow on the top. The woman who ran the bakers stand had helped Jesse when he had asked. "Uh... this is for you." Holding out the gift, Jesse's eyes looked everywhere except Hanzo's surprised face.

        Taking it, Hanzo looked over the gift before pulling at the bow. He set the string down and began unfolding the paper, Jesse's eyes now watching intently.

        The golden fabric flooded from the paper as he opened it, and Hanzo's eyes seemed to light up.

        "I wanted to get you something to... uh... to remember me by. I know it's not much but... I thought it would be good for your hair." He'd watched Hanzo pull the fabric from the paper, rubbing the silk between his fingers as he admired it. "Do yah like it?"

        Without answering Jesse, Hanzo reached back behind his shoulders and pulled the blue elastic from the bottom of his hair. Gathering his hair up quickly and hoisting it high up on his head, Hanzo wrapped the golden band around his hair and knotted it.

        As he let it go it flapped in the wind, the gold catching the light and glistening. Even tied up in Hanzo's hair it hung down from his head a good three feet on each side. Despite the length, it seemed to fit him well. With his hair up, his cheeks had been more defined, his face looking slightly older, but still as lovely as ever. The smile had had crept its way onto his face suited him well.

        "I have something for you as well." Shifting in place, Hanzo reached towards his quiver and bag that Jesse hadn't even noticed. He had seen Hanzo with it so often he had just started to overlook it entirely. "The moment I saw it I thought of you right away. When I had tried to purchase it, the woman who runs the booth refused to sell it to me." He'd been irritated at how stubborn the woman had been and how annoying it was that she wouldn't take his coin. "When I mentioned that it was a gift got you, she let me have it." He thought that strange, but was glad when she finally handed it over.

        Turning back around, Hanzo presented Jesse with his gift and the colts eyes widened. In Hanzo's hands had been the hat he was eyeing for weeks.

        "I remember you saying something about this when we had first met. I think it was a day it had just been you and I by the falls. I wasn't sure what exactly you had been speaking of until I saw it." Handing the hat over, Hanzo smiled, "For you, _cowboy_." Horseboy had been more accurate but Jesse didn't seem to care.

        Taking the hat and thumbing the firm but soft brim, Jesse felt his lower lip start to quiver. He sniffled, tugging the hat close to his chest before he slowly placed it on the top of his head. It had been slightly too big, but as Jack had said the first day he had gotten his leather pouch, he would grow into it.

        "Thank you." Rubbing at his eyes, Jesse smeared his tears away before they could streak down his cheeks. "Thank you, Han-" cut off by the sound of a loud whistle, both Jesse and Hanzo's attention was drawn back towards the village.

        Looking up just in time to see a white dot fly up into the sky, it exploded into a bright red firework. A second one followed shortly after, blue this time, the loud clap from the explosion echoing over the field.

        Hanzo, unable to take his eyes away from Jesse's face watched the colts eyes follow up another flare, the fireworks color exploding in his eyes. The look of wonder on his face was something to marvel at, though every time a firework erupted, Jesse jumped in place.

        Together they sat, watching firework after firework, the colors faintly illuminating them on the hilltop. Jesse would point to fireworks that made specific shapes, utterly dazzled at them. He'd watched with an open mouth as larger ones painted the sky, and soon dozens were going off at once.

        It had been perfect, at least for a little while. After the grand finally, the skies grew dark and the cheering from the village below had died down. In an hour, the lights that had soaked the streets in every color faded out, and it was over.

        Hanzo's lantern had even started to die out, and they knew the inevitable had finally arrived. Begrudgingly, they stood, side by side, Jesse worrying the bottom of his bandana. He looked nervous and he swallowed hard before suddenly leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Hanzo. Tugging the human close, he squeezed him tight.

        Startled, Hanzo had frozen in place, but after a moment to process what had happened, his own hands had found their way around Jesse's form. He could feel Jesse's little fingers clinging to the back of his shirt, not wanting to let go, but he finally did.

        Picking up the lantern, Hanzo had walked with Jesse all the way back to the village gate where they finally said goodbye for the last time. It had consisted of one more hug, Jesse's hat getting knocked crooked in the process and Hanzo assuring him that they would cross paths again.

        With a heavy heart, Jesse watched as Hanzo vanished into the village, already feeling like he had been gone for a century. He'd taken a deep and shaky breath, sighing as he stood by the gate in darkness for a little while longer.

        Only when he had felt exhausted did he finally return to the nest, face soaked. He'd tried to quiet his sobs as he slipped into the nest, Jack already asleep but Gabriel sitting up slightly higher upon hearing Jesse return.

        He'd watched the colt slip between them, wedging himself between his and Jack's forms like he had every night.

        "They're gone." Voice gritty, Jesse ran his hand under his snotty nose, trying to compose himself but failing.

        Eyes squinting and focusing on Jesse's hat, Gabriel gave it a once over before reaching down rubbing the colts back. He hadn't said anything, wasn't really sure there was much to say, so he just tried to comfort him the best way he could.

        "They'll come back, humans always do." Gabriel had said as he took Jesse's hat off and set it down in the grass. From there he pushed Jesse to lie against him wanting him to relax and rest.

        "When?" Jesse let his head fall on Gabriel's back, his little hands tracing patterns on Gabriel's fur. He'd closed his eyes, hiccupping as his hand searched blindly for his hat. Upon touching the brim, he tugged it closer to himself and settled.

        Massaging his thumb between Jesse's little shoulder blades, Gabriel was quiet, helping lull his upset colt to sleep.

 

* * *

 

**SEVERAL YEARS LATER**

 

He'd moved through the village without stopping, gaze focused nowhere but in front of him. He'd passed by the main square, ignoring the booths with sweets that had reminded him of his youth. Instead he pressed on, only humming at people who greeted him good afternoon.

        He'd paused at the front gate, now nearly rotted to nothing in all the time it had been left uncared for through the weather. Despite its dilapidated look, it gave it a bit of character, and he pressed on up the dirt trail.

        The fields, just as golden as he had remembered them swayed in the late summer breeze. The late evening air had a bit of a bite to it, with fall fast approaching, snow would soon cover the golden grasses.

        Walking several miles out, Hanzo had walked himself over several small hills until he finally paused atop of one. He'd squinted, eyes scanning the land before locking into what he had been looking for.

        Across the way, a large brown dot had been leisurely wandering the fields. Upon closer inspection, it had been a beautiful golden brown centaur. It had towered over the grasses, chocolate tail swishing as it had its back to Hanzo as he approached.

        Making no attempt to quiet his footsteps, Hanzo watched the creature quirk its head to the side. It half turned, a hat shielding its face from Hanzo before finally it faced him.

        Their eyes had locked and Hanzo froze in place.

        "Jesse-" Surprise had colored his face at the beautiful man before him. He'd grown nearly three times the size of Hanzo and had a perfect beard that had grown across his face. His upper half was toned and a lovely golden tint from the sun’s light, while his lower centaur half was equally as muscular.

        Despite all that had changed Jesse's eyes were still as soft and tender as ever. As if all these years that prancing giggling colt was still right there in front of him.

        Walking over to the man, Jesse raised his eyebrows. He towered over Hanzo now when at one point they used to be the same height.

        "Well, I'll be damned."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may build upon this universe in "Loot box" because its been a joy to write. I have a R76 fic I have planned coming up that I wanna dive right into, so if you hang around long enough it might pop up eventually.  
> Thanks for reading, this is by far the fastest Ive ever written anything over 40k  
> Comments are nice because I'm on E


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